A Beautiful Mind

Original thinking is central to Nash’s genius. He is able to make intuitive leaps and create new ways of working that simply do not occur to other people. It is this, ultimately, that sets him apart from other mathematicians. In some respects, he has always had this. Even at school, he refused to follow prescribed methodologies, proving instead that convoluted solutions could actually “be accomplished in two or three elegant steps” (34). However, this ability truly comes into its own at Princeton, a “mathematical hothouse” (65) that allows him to experiment and develop and which tolerates his unusual working habits, such as wandering around whistling or lying sprawled on tables and desks, “lost in thought” (66).

Nash recognizes the importance of original thinking and works hard to maintain his abilities, often choosing not to read out of a fear that “learning too much secondhand would stifle creativity and originality” (68). He also resists anything that “smack[s] of routine” (139) or regulation. This damages his relationships because he is “jealous of his time” (385) and does not make time and space to support others. It also makes him fearful of anything that will interfere with his idiosyncratic research such as the possibility of being drafted.