On serendipity or maybe something more

Two articles in two days and both focused on the topics that, from 2012 to today, I deal with The Orange of Entrepreneurship together with Carla Fiorio. The features have been posted on its site between August 8th and 10th by the World Economic Forum and then shared on social networks, thanks to which I discovered them. And they really did make me happy because somehow they brought out the reflections that I would like to share here.

The former speaks of the importance for economists to open their perspectives to other disciplines in order to expand their vision and to elaborate theories that best describe reality. The trend is already in place (for example, here is an article describing how psycho-economics is moving to neuro-economics) but has not yet deeply penetrated into academic and research environments, so I shared WEF’s appeal with great pleasure.

The second article, then, speaks of the difference between the static and dynamic mentality that Carol Dweck of Stanford University has been studying for many years. Its results are a central theme in our methodology of entrepreneurial attitudes training: our brain is an incredibly plastic organ, if we are used to thinking that we can learn something new at any time of life then we can achieve ever more high levels of realization; if, however, we stand in the face of difficulties, thinking, perhaps even unconsciously, of “not being smart enough” we will probably get beached.

Repeating to ourselves and to others, starting from childhood, that knowing what to do things is a continuous learning process, sometimes tiring but always rewarding, would be crucial. So Dweck tells us that we should not praise the people for the result but for the commitment they have put, for not surrendering, for having accepted the challenge. Fantastic, isn’t it?

The last consideration on these two articles is, finally, another thing we always say about our courses regarding serendipity. Here, luck exists but, according to Carla and me, it exists a little more for those who have had the courage to pursue their dreams and build day by day a path to achieve their goals. Because, early or late, you are repaid. Like it has happened to us yesterday and today when, although indirectly and involuntarily, the World Economic Forum recognized the validity of the ideas in which we believe and which we are pursuing with enthusiasm and conviction.

And I assure you that the satisfaction is so much!