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The Surface Area of Serendipity - 28/10/2024

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In 1755, a devastating hurricane struck the Caribbean island of St. Croix. In its aftermath, a young, orphaned clerk wrote such a vivid description of the disaster that local businessmen took notice, pooled their resources, and sent him to America for an education. That clerk was Alexander Hamilton, and his rise from obscurity to founding father tells of a powerful truth: what we call “luck” is often the moment preparation meets visibility. Hamilton’s story isn’t unique in its pattern, though it may be in its scale. History and modern times alike are filled with moments where talent meets opportunity, creating what we often dismiss as mere “luck.” Closer examination tells us that every “overnight success” depends on two variables we can actually control: what we can do, and who knows we can do it.

The Start is Not the End

Everyone starts their lives with a predetermined area of serendipity. It is shaped by different elements like our socioeconomic background, geographic location, family connections, and access to education. The size of our individual areas may differ, but it does not determine final outcomes. As we previously explored, Alexander Hamilton was orphaned while young. Benjamin Franklin himself started out as the son of a candle and soap maker as the eight of ten children whose formal education ended at 10 years old. Marie Sklodowska (later known as Marie Curie), was born in soviet Poland, lost her mother and sister by age 10, saw her father lose her job, and was denied higher education due to her gender. Each of these historical figures started out with very limited areas of serendipity. Disregarding that fact, they all came to become figures we all studied in our childhood.

Skill

The first dimension of your area is skill. Developing your skills is one of the surest ways of coming across opportunities. Many of the examples already explored acquired skills through inordinate amounts of effort. Alexander Hamilton arrived at King’s College (now Columbia) having, through determination, already mastered commerce, accounting, and classical languages. At every stage of his life, when a new opportunity presented itself, he made sure to acquire as many skills and as much knowledge of the topic. He wasn’t an isolated case. Benjamin Franklin intentionally learned everything from meteorology to diplomacy. Marie Curie mastered advanced mathematics in secret through Warsaw’s underground education system before revolutionizing physics. We conclude that skill acquisition leads to exceptional achievement and that every skill we acquire expands the realm of possible futures available to us.

Visibility

Now, would Alexander Hamilton have gone to the U.S without the local businessmen’s knowledge of his skill and existence? Would Benjamin Franklin have been appointed as Pennsylvania’s agent to London if it weren’t for his Junto Club connections and widespread reputation? Would Marie Curie have gotten the opportunity to go to France’s Sorbonne without the help of her reputation she built during her underground studies? By answering these questions, we understand that though they were incredibly skilled, without visibility, they would not have had access to the opportunities they are so known for today. Therefore, visibility acts as a multiplier of opportunities.

Your Surface Area

At this stage, we have learned a few things:

  1. Skills creates preparedness
  2. Visibility produces opportunities
  3. Success in either dimension amplifies the other

This helps us understand that growing skill and visibility has a multiplier effect that compounds on itself. This interaction creates a virtuous cycle: visible skills attract a network that presents opportunities, through which you gain new skills, build a larger network, and access even greater opportunities. Each new addition doesn’t add value but multiplies the value of every skill, connection, and platform you’ve already built. This is how humble beginnings can turn into extraordinary biographies.

Sources:

  1. Isaacson, Walter. “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” (2003)
  2. Chernow, Ron. “Alexander Hamilton” (2004)
  3. Quinn, Susan. “Marie Curie: A Life” (1995)
  4. AtomicArchives.com, Marie Curie
  5. ElephantLearning.com, Benjamin Franklin: From Self-Taught School Dropout to Founding Father
  6. Learning4LearningProfessionals (l4lp.com), Lessons from the real Alexander Hamilton