Take a look around at our modern world. What do you see? What are the things that will be discussed by the future generations. Who will be the people written about in textbooks to come? It's rare to encounter someone who has impacted our busy and bustling world in such a way. Then take a look at your life. What do you see? What are the things that you will look back upon as what molded your personality and character? Who are the people that most impacted the things that you say, think, speak of, and act upon? In many cases, you will never meet these people that have such an influence over your life. However, this week, my Dad has been granted the opportunity to meet a person who both will be remembered in the pages of futuristic textbooks and someone he has looked to as somewhat of an idol throughout his career. This man is truly a "beautiful mind". This man is John Nash.
For those of you who have never studied the work of John Nash, usually present in economics, known as Game Theory or the Nash Equilibrium, Mr. Nash is one of the few remaining brilliant minds of today's society. Or at least that is what I am told. However, what's so amazing about this man, is his story. His life, and what he's had to overcome. This is probably why a movie, one of the most highly acclaimed movies of all time, was made depicting his life: A Beautiful Mind. Nash went through life never knowing what was real and what wasn't. He could never be certain of whether the people he was talking to were actually a figment of his imagination. This is the life of a schizophrenic.
When you think about it, how do any of us really know? How do we know that our lives aren't completely an imagination dreamed up in the corners of our mind. The people we see and interact with and love aren't really there. Who knows? These are the thoughts that can easily occupy my mind for hours at a time. I always search for an answer to this question; a way to know for sure what is real and what is a dimension trapped so far into our brains, that no one can really understand it. However, I always come up blank. John Nash is a man who suffered from this, and still does, ever moment of every day. Maybe it was because of this condition that he could think in the ways he did, allowing him to do the work that changed the world of economics forever.
Yes, my Dad is now in Pennsylvania, meeting his career idol. A man who changed the world. A man who people look up to and respect, regardless of all the things he has been forced to deal with in his life. This is an example of a beautiful story, and a truly beautiful mind.
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