Would Josh Waitzkin have gone on to become World Champion if he didn't quit chess?

Certainly he had the discipline (more so than Magnus, who gets visibly frustrated at his mistakes).

I'm not getting the connection with Magnus. What has showing frustration for to do with becoming world champion? Nothing, because Magnus is world champion and has been for some time now. Clearly he has discipline, more than the other guy because he continued until he reached the top.

The OP seems to be saying that Magnus doesn't have the discipline required to reach the top. Odd that he's been World Champion for the past seven years, then.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying Mr. Captain Nuance and Nuance Jr.

"Don't do it, Josh"

"Don't even think about it"

*brings the queen out early*

He didn't have the discipline.

Lay off the drugs.

Interesting question. He did earn an IM title but could not quite reach the GM level. Could he have made it further in the Chess rankings if he had stayed with it longer ? Perhaps, but of course we will never know ( unless he takes another run at it of course  lol ). 

World champion in Mauy Thai, maybe. But chess, naw.

To be fair, there have been so many moronic posts lacking any nuance on these forums lately, it's only natural to assume this was another one.

Hmmm.... I'd like to think so. He was a good player and had great potential!

The OP seems to think that the most important attribute of a chess player is that he never gets annoyed. Most of us think that the most important attribute is that he plays chess better than everyone else. We're all entitled to our own opinions

   ---   Rofl.

Josh Waitzkin peak rating,  2480.

At the time he was 22ish I think. Players that have potential to be world champion are at least 2750 at that point. Kasparov was still great then, there was Kramnik, Anand, and at least 500 players better than him. 

No, there was never a chance Waitzkin could've been champion. He couldn't even reach GM level and he was definitely trying. He hired Dvoretsky as a coach I think. I don't think he won any world titles for various age groups. I think the only reason he was so famous was because his dad was a writer. Even the kid in that movie that was his supposed rival was better and 1.5 years younger. That kid was homeless AND won a world championship even with all his hardships. That is the kid a movie should've been made about.