On the Importance of Luck, part 2

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He delves into this issue further on in his journals. When describing one of his many military campaigns, he said: ‘Luck is something I never underestimated. One might be a great warrior, a brilliant tactician… but a bit of misfortune can lead to utter defeat. And we can’t forget about luck’s role in a face-to-face skirmish.

Killing someone with a single blow is both a matter of skill and luck. I can’t really say how many times I was able to vanquish my foe because he was distracted by something out of my control; or because he moved in a way that I had not predicted – but just so happened to put his neck in the path of my swinging blade. Of course, experience and prowess play a great role and one should be proud of them. But only a fool forgets that sometimes we have no say about life’s little surprises.’