Break the Code

The above monologue comes from a scene in the 1997 American drama film Good Will Hunting starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The movie follows a twenty-year-old South Bostonian janitor named Will Hunting, who is played by actor Matt Damon. The character Will Hunting is an unrecognized genius. As part of a "deferred prosecution agreement after assaulting a police officer, he becomes a client of a therapist and studies advanced mathematics with a renowned professor."

After a few therapy sessions of Will Hunting examining his past, present, and future while making self-discoveries, he decides to meet with a few companies for potential job opportunities. One meeting is with the directors at N.S.A. (National Security Agency). They are thoroughly impressed with his superior intellect and casually ask him if he would like to work for them. Will Hunting responds by launching into a long answer that demonstrates his high intellect yet lack of empathy. Because of his high level of intelligence and his inability to humanize himself to others at times, he paints a negative image of the benefits of his work and value.

The brilliant storytelling of the scene allows us to examine people who become paralyzed by analysis and never live life to their fullest potential. As Irish poet Oscar Wilde once said, "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." Will Hunting was existing, not living, and not exhausting the finite niche of his unique gifts and talents. Even his best friend Chuckie, played by Ben Affleck, tells him, "You're sitting on a winning lottery ticket, and you're too much of a coward to cash it."

As coaches, leaders, and educators, we want to have every bit of information and every single detail. At times like Will Hunting, we can become paralyzed to make a decision. We can become so consumed with wanting to be liked and validated by our peers and not seen as wrong. We can become deterred by the outside noise of our critics and the never-ending cycle of opinions on social media. In our quietest moments, though, most of us know what to do. However, we do not always follow that intuition because we think the time is not right, or we are too concerned about exterior perception. Will Hunting existed in a mindset of fear. He was scared to leave his friends, scared to fall in love, scared to have dreams, and even more afraid to chase those dreams. Hunting's mind, which was his greatest strength, became his ultimate weakness.

Never be fearful of making mistakes. Live today and immediately. Focus on what is in your control while giving your all to the task at hand. Do not allow the information to paralyze you, or keep you from cultivating your greatest aspirations. At birth, we are born with unique and innate biological processes. But we do not come with the complete knowledge and manual of how to use it all. There is no need to exist merely. It is your birthright to live fully. So don't be afraid to break the code!

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