Cao Xueqin, describes Baoyu thus: "Although born into a good sack of skin, he was like grass inside." At another point, he says, "Of all the creatures in the universe, here was one of the most useless, stupid and stubborn.
曹雪芹還說寶玉「縱然生得好皮囊，腹內原來草莽」，又說他：潦倒不通庶務，愚頑怕讀文章。