This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Jess Newman. Find her on Instagram at @_jess_n_. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
The common saying “it’s a small world” is proving to be 100% true. Couples are sharing their stories on TikTok of how close they have been countless times and yet they hadn’t met until years later down the line. The name associated with this phenomenon is the invisible string theory. This theory is centuries old, but it’s only begun gaining traction online recently.
History of the Invisible Thread Theory
This theory dates back to Chinese folklore and from there different cultures adapted it to make it their own. The string is thought to be red like the red string of marriage, tying you to the love of your life. This string may tangle, but it will never break always leading you back to the person you are meant to be with. According to Medium, “The color red in Chinese culture symbolizes happiness, and it is also prominently featured during Chinese weddings, such as having both bride and groom wear red throughout the entire procession or at some point during the marriage rituals.” Some people call this theory fate. It’s also similar to the idea that whatever is meant for you will find you.
@divinelymagnetic explains that sometimes people don’t connect until the timing is right. Everyone in your life is there for a specific purpose even if they don’t stay in your life for a long time. Maybe they really need you as a friend, you need to learn a lesson from them or you need their friendship at that specific moment in time. If they are a love interest, it could be you weren’t ready until now to have such a strong connection.
Couples sharing their stories on TikTok
The hashtag #invisiblestring theory has been blowing up on TikTok as couples are sharing their stories. @lucia.geoff shares that she and her now-boyfriend went to the same university for 3 years, lived a few streets away from one another and they even studied in the same library every single day. They didn’t meet until years later when they traveled across the world to Bali at the same time.
Other couples have had even closer encounters before they met. Some people have found that their love was hiding in plain sight in their old photos. @joyyful shows a photo from her childhood that shows her getting off the school bus with her now significant other getting off right before her.
The TikToks related to the invisible thread theory seem to use two songs. The first being “Glue Song ft. Clairo” by beabadoobee which @lucia.geoff and @joyyful both used. The lyrics highlighted were “You’ve been hiding in plain sight, and it appeared, oh I know / Loving you once only feels wrong, I need you”. The other song most commonly used is by Miss Taylor Swift herself called “Invisible Sting”. This song is about how her life paralleled her ex-boyfriend’s (Joe Alwyn). In the chorus, she sings the lyrics, “All along there was some / Invisible string / Tying you to me?”
Whether you believe in a higher power or simply the universe, this theory is really fun to think about. Divine timing gives us hope that what is out of our control is for our best interest. If anything maybe we need to pay a little more attention to our surroundings and see if there is anyone who keeps popping up. Keep your eyes open and if you have already met someone special, read this article to determine how strong your connection is!
Do you believe in the invisible thread theory? Have you experienced anything like it in your life?
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