The Roman poet Horace once said that “adversity has the effect of awakening talents that under prosperous circumstances would have remained dormant.” And on the surface, there are numerous examples that support this statement: our founding fathers, Martin Luther King Jr., and even our current president Barack Obama. But for every George Washington who emerges from such a situation, there are thousands who do not receive the opportunity to escape difficulties and remain without prosperity and without talent. Therefore, I disagree with Horace's statement that adversity creates talent; it's just the opportunity that allows you to develop talent. This statement can be defended with a definition of talent, the film “Stand and Deliver” and the comparison of opportunities between developed and underdeveloped countries. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Talent is defined as “the natural ability to be superior in some quality.” Talent flourishes in a stable environment, with time to practice and perfect it. How can one have time to hone their talent if they find themselves in conditions of adversity, where they have to spend their time worrying and working hard for the bare minimum? Although skills such as organization and responsibility can develop even in conditions of tribulation, talents such as sports and the arts cannot be cultivated in such a situation. Talent is innate and does not discriminate between rich and poor. What drives progress is the opportunity to develop talents, not adversity. For example, the movie “Stand and Deliver” projects this concept perfectly. Set in the Los Angeles ghetto, Garfield High School was full of lazy and disinterested students. However, Jaime Escalante enters the school as a teacher and turns these poor kids into a class with a 100% passing rate in AP Calculus. Garfield High students previously did not have the opportunity to integrate their mathematical talents. Although each student went through adversity in the film, they didn't blossom until Jaime Escalante taught them. Escalante was the opportunity given to students to exploit their talents. Without Escalante, students would have continued to neglect their homework and would never have discovered their aptitude for mathematics. Therefore, it is opportunities, not adversity, that grow talent. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The idea that adversity does not breed illicit talents can also be seen in a larger scale context. If this statement were true, then the underdeveloped people, who present the greatest number of difficulties, would also be the most talented. This is not the case, because even the best athletes, artists and geniuses come from industrialized nations that are naturally prosperous. However, every nation has a population that faces adversity, whether racially, economically or otherwise. For example, many Americans also face hardships. Although they initially face difficult times, they are given more opportunities to escape them, such as sponsorships, scholarships and talent search institutions. Poorer Americans have more opportunities than in an underdeveloped nation like North Korea. Even though North Koreans face an incredible amount of hardship, there is no opportunity to develop a talent like leadership to inspire change. Due to their adversities, their potential talent lay dormant in this one.