Scene 1
It begins with John Nash as a graduate student at Princeton, a young man without much in the way of social skills but not without a certain impish humor. He becomes friends with his roommate, Charles Herman, who is everything he is not, dashing and charismatic.
Charles: The prodigal roommate arrives! Oh God, no, did you know that having a 1)hangover is not having enough water in your body to run the creep cycles, which is exactly what happens to you when you’re dying of thirst. So, dying of thirst would probably feel very much like the hangover that finally bloody kills you. John Nash?
Nash: Hello.
Charles: Charles Herman, pleased to meet you.
(They are chatting on the roof.)
Charles: So what’s your story? You’re the poor kid that never got to go to 2)Exeter or Andover?
Nash: Despite my privileged upbringing, I’m actually quite well balanced. I have a 3)chip on both shoulders.
Charles: Maybe you’re just better with the old 4)integers than you are with people.
Nash: My first grade teacher, she told me that I was born with two 5)helpings of brain but only half a helping of heart.
Charles: Wow, she sounds lovely.
Nash: The truth is that I don’t like people much, and they don’t much like me.
Charles: But why, for your obvious wit and charm? Seriously John, mathematics, mathematics is never going to lead you to higher truth. And you know why? Because it’s boring.
Nash: You know half these schoolboys are already published. I cannot waste time with these classes and these books memorizing the weak assumptions of lesser 6)mortals. I need to look through to the governing 7)dynamics. Find a truly original idea, that’s the only way I’ll ever 8)distinguish myself, it’s the only way that I’ll ever...
Charles: Math it.
Nash: Yes.
Scene 2
One night when out with his classmates at a local bar, Nash is inspired by a stunning blonde and establishes a game theory on competition that contradicts 150-years of doctrine first set forth by the Father of Modern economics, Adam Smith.
Charles: Nash. You might want to stop shuffling your papers for five seconds.
Nash: I will not buy you gentlemen beer.
Classmate A: Oh, we’re not here for beer, my friend.
Nash: Oh, does anyone else feel she’s moving in slow motion?
Classmate B: Will she want a large wedding, do you think?
Classmate A: So what do you say, swords gentlemen, pistols at dawn.
Classmate C: Have you remembered nothing? Recall the lessons of Adam Smith, the Father of Modern Economics.
Classmates: In competition, individual ambition serves the common good.
Classmate C: Exactly. Every man for himself, gentlemen.
Classmate D: And those who 9)strike out are stuck with their friends.
Nash: I’m not going to strike out.
Classmate A: You can lead a blonde to water, but you can’t make her drink.
Classmate B: I don’t think he said that. all right nobody move. Nobody move. She’s looking over, all right she’s looking at Nash.
Nash: Oh God!
Classmate C: Alright, he may 10)have the upper hand now, but wait untill he opens his mouth.
Classmate B: Remember the last time?
Classmate A: Ah yes, that was one for the history books.
Nash: Adam Smith needs 11)revision.
Classmate C: What are you talking about?
Nash: If we all go for the blonde, we 12)block each other, not a single one of us is going to get her. So then we go for her friends, but they will all give us the 13)cold shoulder because nobody likes to be second choice. But, what if no one goes for the blonde, we don’t get in each other’s way and we don’t insult the other girls, and so we’ll win. Adam Smith said the best result comes from everyone in the group doing what’s best for himself, right? That’s what he said, right? Incomplete, incomplete. Ok, because the best result will come from everyone in the group doing what’s best for himself and the group.
Classmate C: Nash, this is some way for you to get the blonde on your own. You can go to hell.
Nash: Governing dynamics, gentlemen, governing dynamics, Adam Smith was wrong! Here we go!
(He stands up and walks quickly away.)
Classmates: Careful, careful!
