A Beautiful Mind

Nothing's ever for sure, John. That's the only sure thing I do know.

You see, the nightmare of schizophrenia... is not knowing what's true. Imagine... if you had suddenly learned that the people and the places... and the moments most important to you
were not gone, not dead... but worse, had never been.

— My first grade teacher said I was born with two helpings of brain... but only half a helping of heart.
— Wow! She sounds lovely!
— The truth is that I... I don't like people much. And they don't much like me.

I'm only here tonight because of you. You are the only reason I am... you are all my reasons.

— I thought you dropped out. You ever going to go to class or...
— Classes will dull your mind. Destroy the potential for authentic creativity.

Oppenheimer used to say, "A genius sees the answer before the question."

— Alicia, does our relationship warrant long-term commitment? Because I need some kind of proof, some kind of verifiable, empirical data.
— I'm sorry, just give me a moment... to redefine my girlish notions of romance. A proof? Verifiable data. Okay. Well, how big is the universe?
— Infinite.
— How do you know?
— Because all the data indicates it.
— But it hasn't been proven yet?
— No.
— You haven't seen it.
— No.
— How do you know for sure?
— I don't, I just believe it.
— It's the same with love, I guess.

— Jesus Christ.
— No. I... I don't have that one. My savior complex takes on a completely different form.

There are certain endeavors... where your lack of personal connection would be considered an advantage.

There could be a mathematical explanation for how bad your tie is.

— What about the... Well, you know. Are they gone?
— No, they're not gone. And maybe they never will be. But I've gotten used to ignoring them, and I think they've given up on me. You think that's what it's like with all our dreams and our nightmares, Martin? You've got to keep feeding them for them to stay alive?
— John, they haunt you though.
— They're my past, Martin. Everybody is haunted by their past.

— I find that polishing my interactions... in order to make them sociable requires a tremendous effort. I have a tendency to expedite information flow... by being direct. I often don't get a pleasant result.
— Try me.
— All right. I find you attractive. Your aggressive moves towards me indicate that you feel the same way. But still, ritual requires that we continue with a number of platonic activities... before we have sex. I am proceeding with those activities... but in point of actual fact... all I really want to do is have intercourse with you as soon as possible. Are you going to slap me now?

Conviction, it turns out, is a luxury of those on the sidelines.

Man is capable of as much atrocity as he has imagination.

Mathematics is very specific... and it is an art form, no matter what people here will tell you... especially people from biology.

I find that polishing my interactions... in order to make them sociable requires a tremendous effort.