When a human child is conceived, he or she will have the same chance of becoming a genius as any other child. Ralph Waldo Emerson establishes this belief by making the assertion that, "every young man [or woman] is born with some determination in his [or her] nature, and is a potential genius" (Emerson). "Emerson graduated from Harvard Divinity School, he was a teacher for many schools and served on numerous school boards; making him a foremost resource on all things education. Being a student for twelve years, I feel credible enough to present my opinion on this issue. Every child has an equal chance to develop into a genius just as any other child, but they are sometimes restricted by their schooling. .
Genius cannot be learned, or developed in the classroom; it must be harnessed by the learner on their own terms. This is why genius is limited only by the learner and their own natural method. Emerson states that, "the child is as hot to learn as the mother is to impart, " symbolizing that every child is born with a passion for learning" (Emerson). Most children that fail at one subject, have a passion for something else and have the potential to become very talented in that area. The problem is the lack of people around to support him or her to follow their passion. This leads many children to give up on their passion and focus on improving their grades, preventing them from being an individual.
Many influential and successful people have been below average students. Even though these people were below average students, they still thrived in their own passionate field and were able to make a career out of doing what they love. Steve Jobs was a college dropout, but his passion towards computers and innovation led him to be one of the most powerful technological minds of the 21st century. Another college dropout, Bill Gates, managed to become one of the richest men in the world, by doing what he loved.
