In the movie ‘Good Will Hunting”, a young genius, Will, solves equations for MIT math professor Gerald using a blackboard. Gerald discovers Will. Will is an unsatisfied and violent young man. Gerald was on the verge of sending this genius to jail for fighting when he found him. Gerald convinced the judge to release Will from prison after he pleaded for bail. Will’s life goals were to be determined by Will, so Gerald asked Will to speak to many psychologists. Will, however, was adamant and humiliated the psychologists. Will fell in love with Skylar, a Harvard University student. Due to Will’s inferiority complex, their relationship could not go any further. Gerald does not want to lose the genius of his classmate Sean. Will has finally revealed himself to Chuckie and Sean, thanks to their efforts.
Will Hunting has a gift for mathematics. But he was also abused physically by the foster father. Will, a kindergarten student who had bullied Will and kicked him in the face was arrested by police after the fight. The judge found out that Will’s dark past included stealing a vehicle, pretending to a policeman, and moving to three different foster families for violence. Freud’s Classical Psychoanalytic Theory explains this by stating that childhood experiences play a major role in the development of personality. Will had a bad temper as a teenager because he was abused both physically and emotionally throughout his childhood. He lost faith in relationships, and people who avoided intimacy and kept their true thoughts hidden from everyone. This included therapists. The lack of social interaction makes it difficult for him. His childhood trauma has a significant impact on his personality.
Will Hunting has Borderline Personality. I believe he’s borderline, because people with the disorder have a black-and-white view of life, judge others harshly, but also themselves, struggle to maintain consistency and act on impulse. Will Hunting displays all of these traits and more in the film. The disordered person may also be characterized by a callous disregard to other people’s feelings. This trait can lead many to think that the individual lacks empathy. Will insults his psychiatrist and his wife in the film, trying to ruin the session. Sean, realizing that Will had a personality problem and was not just a jerk but also a person with a personality, insists on keeping him in therapy.
A disorder that is characterized by an unstable self-image is also a key factor. Will suffered abuse as a young child. This caused him to feel a great deal of guilt throughout his life, and he would react violently when he felt judged or threatened. Sean told Will that it wasn’t his fault, but he still felt guilty. He hugs his therapist to resolve this aspect.
The refusal of him to form close bonds with others is yet another behavior I noticed that led me towards a Borderline Personality disorder diagnosis. It is clear that he has an antisocial personality and may have attachment disorder because he avoids discussing his personal life with her. He displays no empathy by telling her, cruelly, “I’m not in love with you” when she tries convincing him to come to California.
In the end, borderline personalities are impulsive. Will Hunting is prone to acting impulsively, whether it’s yelling profanities at professors or solving math problems anonymously.
Will shut himself out of the world in this movie because he was scared of disappointment or failure. The movie ends by telling us this is not a good way to deal anxiety. There are many choices in life. People are still inclined to take risks and play it safe. I also tend to avoid taking risks because I’m afraid of being hurt. The phrase ‘there’s only one thing to fear, and that’s fear itself’ comes from this. Will Hunting used the same logic in his life. This reminds of a slogan “We care because we are scared”. Why are we so concerned about something we don’t care for? Life in university is not without challenges. It is important to remember and cherish experiences that can be both enjoyable and painful.
