Most of the movie is set at or near Princeton and MIT, so it's totally an egghead kind of tale. John is a super genius who makes a career out of studying and coming up with big ideas. To him, there's nothing more important than being creative and trying to contribute to academic thought and knowledge.
(Well, almost nothing—he ends up thinking love is pretty important, too, if we're to believe his Nobel acceptance speech.)
Education and knowledge are so important to him, in fact, that he really can't stand it when his meds prevent him from working. So, even though it might put him (and everyone else around him) in danger, he goes off them. He and his wife eventually find a way for him to function safely even while the delusions continue, but it's pretty hard—and the fact that he's wiling to risk it all so he can work shows you just how important his intellectual life is to him.
Questions about Wisdom/Knowledge/Education
- Does the movie suggest that it's impossible to be a kind human being while also being brilliant/well educated?
- What is Alicia's role in John's whole academic/educational journey? How does she advance it?
- What do you make of the evolution of John's super competitive frenemy thing with Hansen? Is there a larger statement about education or academic competition somewhere in there?
Chew on This
As a fellow brainiac (remember, John meets her when she's a student at MIT), Alicia is the perfect person to help figure out how to combine heart and head. That is her big role in the story.
With help from Alicia, John eventually proves that you can be brilliant and not a total jerk.