I just finished watching Season 2... I haven't seen any of Season 3 yet, so that being said....

What is the meaning of all the strange coincidences among the characters *before* the plane crash, and where is it going?

Some examples...

* Jack & Desmond meeting at the running track.

* Libby being in the same psych ward as Hurley

* Hurley owning the box factory where Locke works

* Hurley winning the lottery with the numbers from the hatch

* Sayiid encountering Kate's father, the American army general in Iraq

* Eko encountering the same psychic guy in Australia who warned Claire about flying.

* Eko's brother crash landing on the same island!

The list goes on and on....

Where is this all going?

Seems to depend on which camp you're in. Since the beginning the show seems to have a lot to say about coincidence versus destiny.
Locke seems to feel that everything happens for a reason (destiny) while Jack would call it a random occurrence (coincidence). These things happen to make us question the difference - is there a difference?

Interestingly enough, Jack has reason to question this in Season 3, when Henry Gale reveals an interesting tidbit...

As for me, I think I would be let down to discover it was all just coincidence. For me when there get to be too many coincidences, it becomes a pattern and not a random occurrence.

Given what we also learned in the Summer via the Lost Experience, with regard to I think there is an obvious clue to the answer to this question.

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“Because, in a land of predators, the lion never fears the Jackal.” – Dexter S3E03 “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”

The Valentzeti Equation has to do with human extinction.... I'm not sure why you think that has anything to do with all the coincidences.

The amount of coincidences and degrees of separation amongst such a small group of people from all over the world, all winding up on the same plane that crashes into an island and they all survive....hmmmm. Something is going on here.

I'm guessing the Dharma Initiative has something to do with it... but what?

I think the Equation does more than just set a date for the end of mankind. We also know that the Numbers are the key factors in the equation, could they not represent physical parts of the equation? 42 for example could be the number of people needed for the equation to work, so maybe more people will keep dying until they reach the optimum number.

The Numbers on consideration have brought good and bad luck to Hurley, by using them in the lottery. They may have driven Leonard insane so that all he can do is repeat those numbers again and again as he whiles away life in the mental hospital.

According to the Lost Experience the numbers being broadcast on the Island represent the key factors in the equation, and the broadcast was supposed to be changed by DHARMA when they succeeded in balancing the equation. It's possible that by the Losties being there, they have upset the equation.

My guess is that the equation is actively balancing itself...in the form of what appears to be coincidence but in fact could be an artificial kind of fate. DHARMA thought they had it figured out but it needed more factors, so it brought in a number of people through a number of different means, with almost mathematical rhythm to it.

Hey, it could easily mean nothing, but when I have some free time on my hands I like to enjoy what-ifs...

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“Because, in a land of predators, the lion never fears the Jackal.” – Dexter S3E03 “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”

Interesting theory.... I think you might be on to something here.

I believe that coincidence and fate cant be intertwined.

The Coincidence can happen... lets say for exmaple that the plane with Eckos drugs landed on a hatch. The two things came together in our percepton of this world. But at that point there was no knowledge of a hatch. There was no fate at that point. But there Was fate that they would find a need/create a reason to go Back there and to have ecko die where his brother did.

Heres another. it was a coincidence that jack met Desmond while running. It was fate that they would be lost on the same island.

I agree, it's entirely possible that both scenarios are occurring on the Island, it's a matter of sorting out which ones are coincidence or fate.
Quite unlikely to be just one or the other.

And what does it all have to with the show? Agghh!!! (head explodes)

LOST does it to me again! lol

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“Because, in a land of predators, the lion never fears the Jackal.” – Dexter S3E03 “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”

I agree also.

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I believe it is fate that drives coincidences. It was fate that Kate saved her Mom by blowing up her Dad, but the real coincidence is that same saved woman served not one, but two Budweisers to Sawyer at the diner. Fatefully coincidental.