I don’t think I’ve ever been truly OBSESSED with anything. At least I haven’t been obsessed with anything to the extent Bobby Fischer was obsessed with chess. I watched “Bobby Fischer Against The World” last night on HBO. I had heard parts of the story on Fischer – his early rise to chess champion, his famous match against Boris Spassky in 1972, his disappearances, his eccentricities. But I had never heard the story fully told.
Fischer became absolutely obsessed with chess at a very early age (he said maybe age 7). By age 14, he had amassed enough hours of playing and studying the game that he catapulted to the national stage and became national champion by age 15. Clearly this is an example of the “10,000 hours rule” postulated by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers and Geoff Colvin in Talent is Overrated. But I think the case of Fischer shows something more.
It takes more than just interest and devotion to a craft to put in the time and effort to the extent Fischer did. It is more than a love of the game or work or hobby. Obviously with Fischer there were potential mental health issues with which he struggled his entire life. But he was obsessed with chess.
Obsession can lead to great skill and excellence. But where is the line that crosses from a “healthy obsession” to one that is detrimental to our mental states? When does obsession go too far? And can you balance a “healthy obsession” with a healthy outlook on life?
