In ancient China, children who were bright, and endowed by nature with talent were known as prodigies. They were, for the most part, ambitious and diligent so that when they grew up they were also quite accomplished. However, some talented children were mischievous and capricious and did not have the drive to keep forging ahead; they subsided back into the ranks of the ordinary. Sometimes, these children who cared for nothing but play could be guided by their parents who would help them realize their potential before it was too late. Under such guidance, these children could still become valuable members of society. Mencius (ca. 372–ca. 289 BCE), Li Bai (701–762), Su Shi (1037–1101), and others were children who only cared for playing; some, in fact, were arrogant or lacking self-restraint—they all encountered frustrations. However, after they were guided by their parents or elders, they became aware of their mistakes and improved their behavior before it was too late. Eventually, they became prominent members of society.   

Chinese history records instances of many exceptionally bright children—Cao Chong (196–208, one of Cao Cao’s sons) of the Three States period (220–280) figured out a method to weigh an elephant when he was only six: “place the elephant,” he said, “on a boat and mark the water level. Then replace the elephant with stones. When the weight of the stones reaches the watermark, remove the stones from the boat, and weigh the stones separately. The total weight of the stones is the weight of the elephant.” His reply made many adults feel inadequate. Sima Guang (1019–1086) was unflappable at the age of seven when he showed his resourcefulness in an emergency; he saved a child who had fallen into a water vat by smashing a hole in the vat in order to drain the water. The child was saved. Wang Pang (1044–1076) could not tell water deer (Chinese water deer, Hydropotes inermis) from regular deer when confronted with them in a cage before him. However, he came up with a flawless answer: he told the adults that the one next to the river deer is the regular deer, and the deer next to the regular deer is the river deer. Most of these children were richly endowed by nature with talent. They were quick-witted, and quite often their abilities exceeded all expectations.  

Not all great and valuable members of society are born prodigies. Throughout history, there have been many children who demonstrated only mediocre intelligence but achieved great feats because of their perseverance: they worked much harder than  smart children. Zuo Si (ca. 250–ca. 305), a renowned writer of the Western Jin (265–316), Wang Shouren (1472–1529), a writer, philosopher, and educator of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), and Yan Ruoqu (1638–1704), a renowned scholar of the late Ming and early Qing period (mid seventeenth century)—they were all regarded as unintelligent in their childhood, and some were even called “idiot.” But they all became valuable members of society, because they shared a common trait: they never gave up. Diligence can compensate for slowness.      

Talent does not always mean that one will become a valuable person. The ancients recognized this fact when they used to say, “A smart boy may not grow up a wise man.” In other words, talented children may not always do well later in life. This situation is often attributable to children not making an effort to continue studying hard, or using their acumen in the right way. King Zhou (1105–1046 BCE) of the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–ca. 1100 BCE) captured the throne by using his intelligence, but he was eventually overthrown. Fang Zhongyong (1020–1087) of the Northern Song (960–1127) enjoyed public acclaim as a child prodigy. When he was five, he could compose poems at the drop of a hat. His father did not let him study but showed him off, profiting from his talents. By the time Fang was twelve or thirteen, his poems were no longer as good as those he had written when he was five years old. When he was twenty, he was an obscure and unexceptional person. Effort and proper nurturing are important if a talented child is to become a talented adult.

Child prodigies are not celestial beings who have descended to the mundane world; they are not able to speak or write at birth. To become a valuable member of society, no matter how smart a child is, requires a journey of hard study. Naturally, it is easy for a talented child to flourish and develop in a good environment. However, even a child growing up in unfavorable circumstances can achieve great prominence if the child can commit completely to hard stud and work. If naughty and unruly children come to their senses in time, they can also be successful. With a determined will, even a less intelligent child can succeed. However, a person with favorable innate talents can fail to succeed if good education and proper nurturing are lacking.  

Family environment is a crucial factor that influences the success of a prodigy. A child who grows up in a scholarly family is imperceptibly influenced by what she or he constantly sees and hears; in this way, the child will unconsciously develop good study habits. Members of a scholarly family are the best teachers for their children—they can initiate their children into study. Children born into a scholarly family have a smoother path to achievement.

Children from poor families must study harder than children from rich families. Because they are unable to attend school, they have to rely on self-enrichment. At times, they must have felt that they were doing twice the work with only half the result. These children need to have great tenacity to overcome their difficulties; however, from another point of view, adversity can inspire one’s will to fight and to work even harder as one moves towards his or her goal and strives for success.