ROMANCE
Love in Plain Sight | Explaining the Invisible String Theory
Some love stories are born from serendipitous moments. Many are enamored by such encounters, with a 2021 poll revealing that 60% of American adults believe in such an idea.
Serendipity comes in different shades. Among them is the invisible string theory. What is it all about? How does it work? Is it real, or is it just another trend?
Defining the Theory
The theory works similarly to the East Asian “red string of fate” folklore. The latter believes that an invisible red string connects the fingers of people destined to encounter each other at specific moments. This signifies that the people in question are predestined lovers.
As for this theory, it suggests that something is connecting you to a specific someone you’ve met/bumped into. And it is believed that the person is the one you’re meant to be with.
How Does It Work?
For those unaware, the premise of such thought is this: you’ve encountered a specific person. However, you two will only pop in and out of each other’s radars from time to time. Your connection will only be built at a much later time.
For example, your current partner is someone you’ve encountered numerous times in your college years, and you didn’t even realize it. It’s as if they’ve been lurking around in plain sight all along.
The invisible string theory became a popular subject on TikTok with over 30 million views as of writing. A Taylor Swift song of the same name discussing the concept helped with its surge.
Most videos show couples recounting their love stories. And more often than not, the stories usually play out this way: they’ve encountered each other multiple times unknowingly. It’s as if they’ve hung around each other until fate decided to lift its finger and do the honors of getting them together.
Do These Strings Exist?
The theory takes the idea of a soulmate and magnifies it. What if your true love is someone you’ve already met? Is fate on your side and conspiring serendipitous encounters on your behalf, or are your encounters a product of coincidence?
The truth is, these “strings” are invisible because they’re not real. The universe isn’t the scriptwriter for your love story. Coincidences do happen, and some of them just happen to be great. They shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The theory also subtly implies that our fated lovers will be our perfect matches. As great as that sounds, the “perfect” love doesn’t exist. Sure, they’ll be the ones we’re looking for, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have flaws like everyone else.
It may be a fun and romantic concept, but the invisible string theory is just that — a thought. Take it with a grain of salt because it hasn’t been (scientifically) proven. Don’t let your yearning for love cloud your beliefs.
Fated romances may seem dreamy, but isn’t it better if you’re in control of your love story? Yes, love is a feeling. At the same time, it’s also a choice. We don’t need a fictional string to choose who we want to be with. And that is a fact.
