For me, the nash equilibrium has been a very confusing concept, mostly due to conflicting information found on the internet. However, I found one source that seemed to clear things up a bit but before I take this understanding as gospel, I want to run it by the forums to make sure I'm understanding how to apply these concepts to real world poker.

According to this article:

1.) nash should only be used as a starting point, a baseline strategy. This is especially true with higher than 10BB's between the 2 players. If the BB's is 10 or below, then you should hold more firmly to nash but still deviate when an opponent is overly loose or tight. So in reality, nash is only optimal when an opponent is also using the nash chart. If the opponent starts deviating from it, then I also need deviate and try to exploit my opponents weaknesses (as exploitable strategies are still the most optimal strategies in poker). But if my opponent goes back to using nash, then I must also in order to avoid being exploitable.

and

2.) while nash might not always be optimal, it will always still be unexploitable when used, meaning you can't be -EV when it's used.

Now number 2 is one I'm definitely more unsure about but again if anyone can help my understanding be confirming or denying anything about my 2 points it would be much appreciated.

Both points are wrong. What you're referring to isn't really a Nash equilibrium solution to poker, it's the solution to push/fold poker. So points 1 and 2 are true only in cases where push/fold poker is close to real poker--this is 7bb and shorter. At other stack depths, you should be doing things like limping and min-raising in SB. Hence both 1) and 2) will be incorrect, since it gives no baseline for non push/fold strategy, and it often results in horrible EVs for SB when deeper (ex: it's a losing strategy 10bb) and gives no EV guarantees in BB vs a non push/fold strategy.

Okay, so the all the nash equilibrium charts out there are assuming that:

1.) you are in a simple, HU game of push fold (and in reality this will only happen around 7-8 BB's).

2.) You are pushing when first to act and in the SB and calling when being pushed against from the SB.