Are coincidences chance, choice, or something in between? →

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Coincidences are often described as mysterious moments that feel meaningful precisely because they seem unplanned. We notice them because they interrupt our expectations. A familiar face appears unexpectedly. A pattern emerges where none was intended. Something aligns, briefly, without explanation.

One way to understand coincidences is through the lens of free will. We make choices every day, guided by our values, habits, and preferences. Sometimes those choices intersect in ways that feel surprising. A decision to stop for coffee leads to an unexpected encounter. A small action sets off a chain of events we couldn’t have predicted.

From this perspective, coincidences are not random at all. They are the visible result of countless choices converging.

Determinism offers a different explanation. Our decisions may feel free, but they are shaped by prior causes we rarely see. Biology, environment, experience, and social influence quietly guide where we go and whom we meet. What feels like chance may be the natural outcome of forces already in motion.

There is also the question of pattern. Humans are remarkably good at noticing repetition and meaning. When events cluster or symbols repeat, we interpret them as significant. Coincidence, in this sense, may be less about the world arranging itself and more about how we attend to it.

Whether coincidences arise from free choice, underlying causes, or genuine randomness may be impossible to determine. What seems more certain is how we respond to them. These moments invite reflection. They prompt us to pause, connect, and reconsider how our lives unfold.

Much of my writing returns to this space between intention and uncertainty. In Embrace Life’s Randomness, I explore how unplanned moments often shape our lives just as deeply as deliberate choices. Coincidences sit at that intersection. They don’t resolve the debate between free will and determinism, but they do remind us that meaning often emerges from what we didn’t expect.