Bobby Fischer's psychiatric condition

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TheGrobe

At least it's not UnderwearMisadventure.

DiogenesDue
UnderwearAdventure wrote:

Despite his mother and older sister being an influential figure in his early chess development, Bobby was fiercely misogynistic and despised women. Despite knowing that his mother was Jewish and his father may have been also, he was an outspoken anti-semite. Bobby's life is full of contradictions. First and foremost, Bobby was insecure. All his mental and psychological troubles stemmed from this insecurity. Even early in his life (pre-1972) it was evident that Bobby was paranoid and suffered a great deal from battling his inner demons. He always felt awkward in social situations around wealthy and educated people because he had dropped out of high school. He always felt an emotional disconnect with people and very few people ever got close enough to Bobby to develop any sort of intimacy with him. He had difficulty trusting others which was a result of his early childhood experiences. He constantly felt inadequate and never believed he was good enough. He searched for money and fame and power not in some ultimate quest to achieve these material things such as status and acceptance but to fill the gaping void in his life of nothingness. He wanted desperately to be world champion to give his life some meaning and purpose, but after winning the world title that desire went away and with the crown came the financial stability and recognition that he was not comfortable with. His achievements however allowed him the flexibility to explore the world and meet with celebrities. Bobby's long break from chess proved to be his undoing. He thrived on instability he had known so long as a chess player battling against the Soviet regime. Once his life assumed some semblance of stability, his mind began to wander, he lost interest in chess, and his previous psychological conditions, which were evident early in his career, consumed him.

Speculation and conjecture, ultimately.  Fischer never wrote an autobiography, and I doubt he said any of the above in interviews, so making statements about his inner thoughts as if they are facts is irresponsible.  These are educated guesses based on incomplete observations.  You could add "seemed to" to everything I highlighted above.

Harmbtn
[COMMENT DELETED]
ghostofmaroczy
UnderwearAdventure wrote:
ghostofmaroczy wrote:
UnderwearAdventure wrote:

Despite his...

Hold on, hold on.  

What's that handle you're using??

What?

What?

Jimmykay

you can change your handle once on chess.com and this individual was recently known as please_let_me_win, I believe.

ppandachess
ghostofmaroczy wrote:
Atakattu wrote:

Spassky was very sane, very normal throughout his life, right? Fischer was insane from 1972 - 1992? You may say yes. But, still Fischer beat Spasky in 1992. Fischer will remain one of the greatest players chess has seen.

Respect Fischer for his game, forget the rest.

Very true! Let him rest in peace!

http://enjoychesslearning.wordpress.com/

Jimmykay

I do not understand the "let him rest in peace" crowd. He is an historical figure, now dead.

Are we supposed to never study the lives of great people in history? Are you all against ALL biographies? When studying history, or we to not talk about the dead, but instead let them "rest in peace"?

Glass-Spider

Ok, just keep heaping insults on him if you object.

Jimmykay
Glass-Spider wrote:

Ok, just keep heaping insults on him if you object.

Studying and analyzing the life and person of one of the (if not the) greatest and most dominant competitors of any area in the 20th century does not have to be about "heaping insults", which I have not done.

Glass-Spider

If more had your attitude, he could rest in peace.

ghostofmaroczy
tthechesstitan wrote:
ghostofmaroczy wrote:
Atakattu wrote:

Spassky was very sane, very normal throughout his life, right? Fischer was insane from 1972 - 1992? You may say yes. But, still Fischer beat Spasky in 1992. Fischer will remain one of the greatest players chess has seen.

Respect Fischer for His game, forget the rest.

Very true! Let Him rest in peace!

(I needed to modify the text, thank you for your patience)

maskedbishop

The "Rest in peace" crowd is trying to use sentiment to chill criticism and avoid the unpleasant truth about what kind of a man their hero really was.

Bobby Fischer is still discussed constantly in the chess world, at all levels. Rarely does an issue of Chess Life come out that doesn't mention him. Rarely can Kasparov do an interview and not be asked about him. Book by and about him continue to be best sellers in the chess world.

Bu like France and the Holocaust, the Chess Community still has not come to terms with Bobby Fischer and what he represented. Deniers like to say "just concentrate on the games" or "let him rest in peace" because they don't want to embrace the fact that this man spent the better part of his adult life spreading hate...at every opportunity that was afforded him.

Yes, it matters. The fact that Mussolini made the trains run on time doesn't excuse who he was as a person. The fact that Fischer played some brilliant chess doesn't excuse him, either. And yes, it must be discussed, because there are still an awful lot of people, chess players and non-chess players, whose only information on Bobby Fischer comes from glorified sources like the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer." 

The party line is still that Bobby was just a crank, a lonely genius, a troubled man...a little Prozac and everything would have been fine. Sadly, that's not the truth. Bobby was an ethically corrupt person, a hater and a fear-mongerer, and we need to come to terms with that, and stop trying to rationalize it away.

Glass-Spider

Fischer - made in America.

DiogenesDue

like France and the Holocaust

Mussolini made the trains run on time

...perilously close to a Godwin's Law invocation.

Your position here is as extreme and off the beam as your Millionaire Chess position.  Maybe you do need a chill pill ;)...

The_Ghostess_Lola

I kinda feel sorry for him. I mean, he obviously felt tortured to the point of deep despise for certain groups - but he wasn't violent....more like a marshmellow really. Yes, he could be a troublemaker of sorts, but I'd give him some latitude everyone.

Remember, he fought hard for his playing rights - and that's trickled down to positively affect all of us as players.

TheGrobe

But what about the atrocities he committed, you know, the ones that have sparked the comparisons to all these tyrants and despots?

TheOldReb
TheGrobe wrote:

But what about the atrocities he committed, you know, the ones that have sparked the comparisons to all these tyrants and despots?

Very good  point !  Exactly what were Fischer's atrocities ?  Oh yeah , he said hateful things about jews and americans . If he had said the very same hateful things about the amish and japanese noone would give a damn .... Surprised

maskedbishop

>f he had said the very same hateful things about the amish and japanese <

And if he wasn't American, but Swedish or Moroccan, no-one would have paid much attention either...and while his games would be celebrated, somehow I don't think QUITE as much. 

maskedbishop

>our position here is as extreme and off the beam as your Millionaire Chess position. <

Ok, what are YOUR positions on these things, ticklebug? I haven't seen them. You like to make fun of other people's posts but you haven't committed yourself to an actual position.

Watch out for Godwin if you work up the nerve to create one. 

DiogenesDue
maskedbishop wrote:

>our position here is as extreme and off the beam as your Millionaire Chess position. <

Ok, what are YOUR positions on these things, ticklebug? I haven't seen them. You like to make fun of other people's posts but you haven't committed yourself to an actual position.

Watch out for Godwin if you work up the nerve to create one. 

I have in fact posted my positions on both topics, observant one...have fun digging.