Lesson 6 of Thinking Into Results covers self-image. One of the things Bob teaches is how teams who have a good team self-image and are working together well have additive power – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. There is a very good illustration of this in the second barroom scene of the movie “A Beautiful Mind.” In this scene, John Nash, played by Russell Crowe, realizes that the old “every man for himself” concept – a scarcity mindset concept by the way – is incorrect – that the results are better for each member of the team, if every member of the team works for the best result of the team as a whole.
Before I give you the URL of the clip, some caveats…
Besides the beautiful description of how “every man for himself” doesn’t work, the scene and epiphany is also couched in sexist terms. Remember, this is a depiction of the time around 1950, long before “political correctness” or the #metoo movement had become “things” and this type of behavior had become unacceptable. If you are offended by sexism and find yourself unable to see past that to the beautiful illustration, then don’t watch this video. You won’t learn anything; you’ll just get upset. I would submit though, that if you can’t look past things you don’t like to find something to learn in every circumstance, it will significantly limit what you can learn in life. That’s because many of the lessons in life are clothed in circumstances or ideas we don’t like. Learning from it doesn’t mean agreeing with the accompanying circumstances.
Secondly, while the scene was intended to depict Nash’s epiphany regarding what has come to be known as the “Nash Equilibrium;” it is not about that. This IS a movie after all; moviemakers often take liberties with the real story in making movies. Moreover, “A Beautiful Mind” isn’t really about Nash’s epiphany but rather his overcoming a debilitating condition – schizophrenia.
Also, see this short autobiography of John Nash, from the Nobel Prize organization: https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economic-sciences/laureates/1994/nash-bio.html
Here’s the youtube clip: (URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJS7Igvk6ZM)