On the Importance of Luck, part 1

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Bastian of Pangalia was one of the most renowned warriors of his time, but unlike most of the people that shared his talent, he was not known to be of the boastful sort. Yes, he knew his worth, yet he would not walk around telling everyone that he had a special gift, that it was bestowed by God or any such drivel. He always said that his prowess came from two factors – hard work and quite a lot of luck. Bastian said that people tended to forget this second aspect especially.

‘Funny how people are’, he wrote in his journals. ‘When we fail, we say it’s because of our bad luck. But when fortune does favour our efforts, we claim full responsibility for our actions. In my experience, luck is more often than not something that plays a crucial role in our lives. Even – or maybe especially – when it comes to combat.’