John Nash, an articulate mathematician whose life inspired a biography to be written about him by Sylvia Nasar and a film based on the book “A Beautiful Mind.” left this beautiful world on this day, a year ago. Indeed, he really was a beautiful mind.
His character was beautifully played by Russell Crowe won the Oscar for the best actor and Jennifer Connelly, who played his wife, Alicia Nash won the Oscar for the best actress in supporting role.
Well, being a son raised by an engineer and a teacher, John was undoubtedly a splendid soul who wished to become an engineer just like his father. Guidance took him towards mathematics where he did wonders and well, set examples. In late 1950s though, schizophrenia took him over and things went the bad way. as well described in the biography and the film, Nash had in his mind, an imaginary roommate named Eddie who also had a nine-year-old niece whom Nash claimed to have met later. The roommate was the positivity in his life. Every time he came back to his senses and motivation, he thought it to be his roommate when it was his own mind playing tricks.
also, the thing that was there in Nash’s mind made him believe that he was on a secretive mission with the FBI and he had a certain officer working with him, called as ‘the big brother’. Since he believed he was on a secret mission, he wasn’t permitted to tell anyone about it so he didn’t say it to his wife Alicia as well. Things went downhill in the years to come and everyone gradually found out.
It was then discovered that he suffered from schizophrenia. He was put to treatment, he spent many years in the hospitals of New Jersey and came out well recovered after a significant number of re-treatments.
Finally, sometime later, he wrote an autobiography in which he mentioned about his experiences in detail. Everything that he had been doing all that while was sure weird and the worse part was that he had no idea of it being real.
In the middle of one of the attacks, when Alicia almost left him along with their child, he understood that it wasn’t real, giving away a certain logic that the people he met never got old, they didn’t age and so they couldn’t be real. That saved him from losing Alicia forever.
This is a true inspiration to many. Even though I’m not much of a math-lover yet I believe that John Nash was a valuable asset to this world and is a sad loss. As an individual, he was a tremendous and a wonderful person. We wish that you and your wife rest in peace Sir Nash.
