[yqpY4iw6]

I'm not sure I believe in a spark. Do you mean an aptitude, or a determination?

I didn't define it too clearly because like you, braxtonhicks (painful name ouch!) I don't think I believe in 'natural talent'. But there are some people who are just less strong in the upper body perhaps or are not good at coordinating their limbs and the same must've been the case for would-be Samurai and surely they'd have been poor warriors? Maybe Satsuma has it: the physically less able were dispatched into roles that played to their strengths-bookkeeping, cooking, food tasters, horse handlers... I think I'd've avoided being a farmer at all costs, Missingno-too much like hard work and having seen Seven Samurai, dangerous too!

Failure not being an option is an interesting idea, tango. It can't be that simple can it? For example many people join, say, the Royal Air Force to become fighter pilots and try really hard and are pushed, but just can't develop what it takes and end up in some other role. Square pegs and round holes and all that.

On balance, Satsuma's hypothesis sounds the most plausible really, but if a battle or a siege occurred, I assume these people would literally have been cannon fodder in the mêlée!