Me Me Me

“Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think.”

-David Foster Wallace

In David Foster Wallace’s speech “This is Water,” he discusses the “natural, hard-wired default-setting“ that every human being has to be “deeply and literally self-centered”. When I thought about how his speech related directly to me, I realized my mindset was exactly that of what David Foster Wallace described. His speech seemed kind of like a rude awakening to me.

Initially, I didn’t accept that I was self-centered and preoccupied with myself because I believe I care about other people. However, as I read on, I realized that I am pretty self-centered at times. At this moment of realization, I actually felt pretty guilty. For this reason, I believe David Foster Wallace‘s speech is exceptional. He effectively uses logical and emotional appeals to make his listeners reevaluate their own ways of living.

A specific part of my everyday life Wallace’s speech made me think about is the way I behave at school. For example, when I am trying to make it from one class to the next, I am constantly slowed down by others walking at their own pace or irritated by people walking too close to me. I now realize that I get frustrated way too easily by these people that I don’t even know anything about. I realize that it is wrong to constantly be so negative without taking into consideration the feelings of others. This speech serves as a beautiful reminder that sometimes we all need to open our eyes a little wider.