A Beautiful Mind Perseverance Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from A Beautiful Mind.

Quote #4

CHARLES: John, now, you can't ignore me forever.

JOHN: Charles, you've been a very good friend to me. The best. But I won't talk to you again. I just can't. Same goes for you, baby girl. Good-bye.

This is a pretty heartbreaking scene, because we see John shutting his "friends" Charles and Charles' niece, Marcee, out of his life.

Sure, they aren't real, but John didn't know that for a long time, and Charles was a huge part of his life. Imagine having a best friend and then finding out the person just didn't exist.

Quote #5

TOBY KELLY: Did you just solve Reimann?

JOHN: Well, what do you think?

When John gets back to work, he starts getting attention from some of the other scholars/students in the library—and here, it looks like he's come close to solving a previously unsolved problem. Baby, he's back.

Quote #6

JOHN: I was thinking that I might teach.

HANSEN: A classroom with fifty students can be daunting for anyone, John. Besides, you're a terrible teacher.

JOHN: I'm an acquired taste, Martin. I was hoping there still might be something I could contribute.

HANSEN: What about the, um…well, you know. Are they gone?

JOHN: No, they're not gone, and maybe they never will be. But I've gotten used to ignoring them, and I think as a result, they've kind of given up on me.

Yeah, yeah, we know—after seeing how much disdain John had for teaching at the beginning of his career, it's spit-take worthy that he ends up wanting to go back to it later in life. But apparently, after all he's been through (and after Alicia taught him a little bit more about playing nicely with others), John has decided he's ready to tackle that challenge once again. Pretty impressive, eh?