If we try to summarize Howard Hughes’ life in 1 word, the best possible choice is “Adversity”, which he surpassed with his geniality and hard work. Surely, it’s undeniable that the American aviator and producer had an harsh existence.
Since he was a child he had been affected by Compulsive – Obsessive Disorder which led him to insane behaviours, he was a maniac of personal cleanliness due to his germaphobic attitude and he was a little deaf.
He was a great fan of aviation, that was a new field to discover and develop at the beginning of the century and his intuitions were mixed with cinematography. We can define his movie “Hell’s Angels” the first colossal in Hollywood’s history, but even here difficulties were not missing. He took a really big risk investing almost 4 million dollars, which was an unthinkable sum of money for a film at the time.
Hughes is mostly known for his huge contribution on the engineering aspects of aviation. Maniac of perfection, often his projects slew down because he focused too much on little details, but his attitude in solving problems and dealing with new challenges was impressive.
The biggest adversity Hughes went through is doubtless the trial he was submitted to, because he was accused of war-profiting during WWII. He won the process brilliantly, rejecting every accuse.
His life is inspiring because it teaches us how to face problems and solve them.
Davide Casiraghi, 5 B Tecnico
