Fortune knocks but once, but misfortune has much more patience.

The words of Laurence J. Peter—“Fortune knocks but once, but misfortune has much more patience”—strike the heart with their sobering clarity. Here is no easy comfort, but a recognition of the human condition as it has been since the dawn of time. Fortune—the sudden gift of opportunity, wealth, or glory—arrives swiftly, often unexpectedly, and if missed, it may never return. But misfortune is tireless; it lingers, it waits, it visits again and again, testing the resilience of the human soul. These words are not meant to cast us into despair, but to awaken us to vigilance: seize opportunity with courage, and endure hardship with strength.

The origin of this wisdom is found in the endless pattern of life itself. Across history, we see how fleeting opportunities have been for nations and for individuals. A single chance to rise, a single moment to speak, a single door opening—these are the rare knockings of fortune. Yet hardship has never been so scarce. Storms, wars, betrayals, and disappointments return like waves upon the shore. Peter, with irony and insight, reminds us that misfortune is persistent, always waiting, always patient, while fortune is quick and must be grasped without hesitation.

Consider the story of Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin. The mold that grew in his laboratory was a knock of fortune—a chance alignment of nature and curiosity that opened the door to a revolution in medicine. Had he ignored it, the gift might have been lost forever. Yet while such fortune appeared only once, misfortune had long plagued mankind with endless suffering from infection, generation after generation. The rare gift of fortune must be seized in its fleeting moment, for misfortune will always return if left unchallenged.

History also offers the tale of Napoleon and his Russian campaign. Victory and empire had often knocked upon his door, yet in his overreach he did not listen to the limits of fate. When misfortune came in the form of winter, famine, and the resilience of Russia, it did not depart swiftly. It lingered, it gnawed, and it broke his army slowly, with patience. This is the way of misfortune: it does not strike and vanish, but wears down the spirit through endurance. Fortune, bold and fleeting, may crown a man once, but misfortune, steady and relentless, will test him until the end.

Yet there is a hidden strength in this truth. If misfortune has patience, then so must we. The soul that accepts hardship as inevitable is not broken by it. Misfortune may strike again and again, but if the heart stands firm, if courage is renewed each day, then patience becomes our armor. And when fortune does finally knock, the prepared soul is ready to seize it, while others remain paralyzed by hesitation. Thus, Peter’s words are not only a warning—they are a guide to wisdom: endure the long patience of misfortune, so that you may be awake and strong when fortune arrives.

The lesson, then, is twofold: first, when fortune knocks—act swiftly. Do not delay, do not doubt, for hesitation closes the door forever. Second, when misfortune comes—and it surely will—endure patiently, for though it lingers, it cannot destroy the spirit that refuses to surrender. Fortune may come but once, but character is forged in the constant presence of hardship. To live well is to honor both truths: to seize opportunity like lightning, and to endure suffering like stone.

In practice, this means watching closely for the rare chances in life—whether in work, in love, or in dreams—and grasping them boldly without fear. It also means preparing the soul for the long trials that will inevitably come, cultivating patience, resilience, and hope in the face of adversity. Remember always that misfortune has more patience than we imagine, but so too can we. And when our patience endures longer than the trial itself, then we have mastered not only misfortune, but life.

So let Peter’s words echo across time: “Fortune knocks but once, but misfortune has much more patience.” Be swift when the rare knock of opportunity is heard, and be steadfast when the slow footsteps of misfortune approach. For the one who can seize fortune and endure misfortune shall live not as a victim of fate, but as a master of destiny.