Everybody has felt at one time or another that everyone else in the world had a better shot than they did, so when you engage that, you engage the reader, and I think you create a character that brings the reader more fully into the story.
Robin HobbBoredom is vastly underrated. Boredom means that nothing is trying to kill you every day.
Robin HobbBesides, if there were no dragons of flesh and blood and fire, whence would come the idea for these stone carvings?
Robin Hobb