Scholars study to gain fame, and this reputation is a stepping stone to being an official. The better the exam, the greater the achievements of officials. No matter what they do, they will eventually get an official position. At this time, their task will change from studying to being an official, getting bigger and bigger, and climbing up step by step. Being an official is also learned. You should not only be kind to the following people, but also handle the relationship with your colleagues, and please your boss for evaluation. These things will take a lot of time, so they generally don't specialize in literature.
The purpose of students' study is to be an official, so their motivation is different from that of people who are bent on literature. An official wants to be big, and of course he won't pay attention to anything else. Reading can't be an official. Those who study hard and specialize in literature, although they can achieve something in literature, are only a few, because most people regard being an official as their ultimate goal. So when you have an official position, you will forget the books you have read.
Only adversity can stimulate people's potential. People who have achieved fame will not be treated too badly no matter what. They won't have any crisis, so they won't think deeply. People in adversity need to constantly think about the present and the future, so they will have a greater opportunity to understand and feel deeper. Du Fu, for example, wouldn't have become a poet if it hadn't been for the turmoil of camping in those years. This is the power of adversity.