The issue of nature versus nurture has hounded humanity for eons.

The issue of nature versus nurture has hounded humanity for eons. Some are of the opinion that musical and athletic talents are in the genes, while others hold the view that any child can learn these abilities, regardless of their bloodlines. In this essay, I will explore both sides as well as offer my own opinion. As to those who feel that any child can become a star sportsman or famous musician through training, there is one main justification. The idiom practice makes perfect exists for a reason. Take the Taiwanese sensation Jolin Tsai, for example. At the beginning of her career, she was utterly unable to sing or dance at any level that could be seen as exemplary. However, after years of training every day with voice coaches and choreographers, she become one of the hottest pop stars not only in Taiwan, but throughout the whole continent of Asia. Nevertheless, I believe that it is nigh impossible to excel in sports or music without natural ability. The reason for my view being that nearly every gold medal Olympian and best-selling artist exhibited raw talent from an early age. Granted, they could not have reached their levels of success without practice and training; however, it cannot be denied that talent existed first. As evidence, every student of human anatomy knows about fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles. Without being born with a significant amount of the former, winning any 100 meter dash races would be literally impossible. In sum, I believe in the value of hard work, but I also am realistic about the fact that not just anybody can make millions as a musician or sportsman. I hope that, in the future, every child is allowed to nurture their own natural talents, whatever those may be.