Commencement Speech: This Is Water By David Foster Wallace

In David Foster Wallace’s graduation speech to the Kenyon College Class in two thousand five, This is water, he uses logical and emotional appeals to discuss the importance of critical thinking. He uses the term “conscious” to signal critical thinkers, while those who do not think critically are referred to as “unconscious”. Throughout life we go through different experiences that teach us how to deal with everyday trials and tribulations. Therefore, Structuralism will be the literary theory that will be used to describe how Wallace uses human experiences to explain the truths of everyday life.

David Wallace starts off his speech with a "didactic little story" about two young fish who encounter an older fish that asks them “How’s the water?” The story shows that usually the most noticeable things in the world are often the hardest to observe. From the start Wallace begins to show the graduates and readers that we are so caught up in our own little worlds and too obsessed with ourselves that we completely miss the most obvious and import things about our reality. He points out that humans are so used to paying attention to things that go on around us that we never truly observe situations where we aren't involved. Self-centered people are so close-minded that they never truly gain meaning from an experience which often makes them anguished and troubled. However, Wallace explains that if people are conscious and compassionate towards other people then they can be freed from their self-centered egos.

I believe that existence is comprised of hundreds and millions of different realities intermingling and colliding into one another. I also believe that at the center of each reality there lies the individual who crafted it. Our perception of what is real and false exists solely in our own minds, and our minds are what determines the lense in which we perceive the world. Our perception is largely influenced by our psyche; how we live and think stems from our perception of the world. Our brains are directly influenced by a number of key factors, including but not limited to; societal connotations, individual experience, instinctual desires, environmental factors, and cognitive thought. These factors, as well as other conditions, are what determine our “default setting.” In his noteable “This is Water” speech, given at the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address, David Foster Wallace argues a similar idea as he explains his take on the phrase “teaching you how to think”. Through his use of relatable parables and anecdotes and repetition and reverent focus of words like “choice” and “awareness” he paints a livid picture of the use of conscious choice in our daily lives. He stresses the concept of a self centered “default setting” that comes from an individual's “blind certainty” and the repercussions that deferring to that default can have on an individual's lifestyle and fulfilment. If we are unable to recognise the water in which we dwell we will always remain unaware, stuck in an

234-235), which again hooks in the reader. After this slightly comical imagery, Wallace brings up a point that rings true for many. “…if I don’t make a conscious decision about how to think and what to pay attention to, I’m going to be pissed and miserable every time I have to food-shop…” (Wallace pg. 235) This quote really got to me because I often get into ruts of thought similar to that one, where I think nothing is going my way, and that the world is against me. Such thoughts are seemingly commonplace in our society today, and Wallace uses that undeniable reality to prove his point. The day-to-day grind is only going to depress us more if we go into it focused solely on how terrible everything is for

Both Wallace and McCandless propose that life should be challenged in order to live the most fulfilling life, however the two differ in the ways they think life should be challenged. Wallace challenges the “default settings” in his life by attempting to change the way he thinks and make his thoughts more conscious of the society around him as opposed to self-centered thoughts. He describes it on page 5 saying, “Thinking this way is my natural default-setting. It 's the automatic, unconscious way that I experience the boring, frustrating, crowded parts of adult life when I 'm operating on the automatic, unconscious belief that I am the center of the world and that my immediate needs and feelings are what should determine the world 's priorities”. Wallace believes in saying this that humans are inherently selfish creatures. This natural selfishness stems from basic animalistic fight or flight reflexes; humans maintain selfishness because they are always avidly rooting for their own survival. Wallace is of the belief that doing this is outdated, and we are far beyond the point of basic animal instincts. Because of this we should be able to actively change our thoughts to represent a state of mind that more closely reflects the society that we live in now. In order to break free of the animalistic impulses we must constantly make the conscious decisions to see life beyond ourselves, which would prove impossible for an animal but possible for the human who possesses generative

During the last three years of my attendance here at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, I could not think of a teacher who has influenced me more than yourself. You’ve taught me to not only appreciate music, but to appreciate life. I’ve spent a total of four semesters in your Choir class and one semester in your Accounting class. We’ve traveled to two music festivals through Choir class, which are two of my most memorable experiences here in MEHS. I’ve also been apart of the MEHS award-winning Radio Club under your supervision. You’ve certainly witnessed my development as a maturing adult. It would be an honor to have a letter of recommendation from a teacher like yourself. Thank you for making my high school years enjoyable. If you choose to write

Hi Ms.Barks, I am not sure if you remember me ( EAP 121,Winter 2015),just want to tell you I am done with ENG 101 and to thank you for the permit!!! It was very interesting expirience ( Bixby was my teacher),however I passed and moving on.This is my last quarter in Edcc , I am taking summer off and will be attending Shoreline community college this fall.Again,I just wanted to thank you for being supportive of me and allowing me to get closer to my goal!!!. I was very fortunate to have you as my teacher!!! Have a great summer!!!

As a member of Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Leaders Engaging in Advance Discoveries (LEAD), were are expected to complete eighty hours of service over the course of two academic school years. Each semester VCU LEAD students are required to complete twenty hours of service, ten-community engagement hours and ten leadership hours. I believe that having a requirement of participation hours pushes students to get involved on VCU’s campus and the greater Richmond area, introduces time management, as well as influences them to reflect on their new found experiences.

Welcome to Lakenheath High School! Lakenheath has a lot to offer that most people don’t realize and I didn’t realize until it was too late. If I could give you one piece of advice it would be to join a club, any of them, even if you don’t think you’ll be interested.

Good afternoon fellow classmates, beloved family members, wonderful staff of Palm Beach Lakes Community High School, and dedicated Palm Beach County School Board Members!

In a world where fantasy becomes reality there is nothing left but one girl, one school, and one way out. Now that girl is me, Shelby Mayo, that school is Decatur High School in Decatur Alabama, now I know what you’re thinking... what can one girl do to save herself from thousands of flesh eating zombies… I’ll tell you it’s quite simple actually. Step 1. Be badass and that’s right bring a sword because guns will run out of bullets. Step 2. Bring a map of the school that you have to survive in. Step 3. bring comfortable clothes that you wouldn’t mind getting dirty (obviously), step 4. now stay with me because this one isn’t really a physical thing, but bring a heart of steel because you’ll need it and step 5. bring a grenade in case all else

I know you are probably overwhelmed with work right now and that's why I wanted to remind you that you were going to send me some info on how Delta’s graduation has been shot in the past and what I should be jotting down. There's no rush I just wanted to make sure that in all the bustle of the newspaper this wasn’t forgotten. Thank you, have a beautiful

Hello Jodie,My name is Kyle McKenna I am currently grade 10 and attending Latrobe High School.

I don’t even know where to start with this State of the Union Speech. I thought it was incredible. It was well written and wasn’t full of bogus. As a kid who is confused, and sometimes even scared of politics, I could understand it. One major thing that stood out to me was the talk about America’s strength. My fellow students at school have no faith in our country, and always go around saying, “Obama sucks!” I always knew that they were wrong, but sometimes watching the news, I worried. It seems nothing good is ever happening. Reading the President's speech, I now know some of the truth, and it has calmed my worries. Another thing that stood out to me was the climate change stuff, that is a big worry of mine. Yes, it has been proven true

The Fall of 2010 was about as normal as every other fall that preceded it. The leaves changed colors and the weather got colder. It also meant that school was back in session. To me, fall time meant athletics were back in season. I was entering 7th grade and I was bummed that summer was over but excited because I was almost a year older. I was about to turn thirteen years old; I could almost call myself a teenager. I had always participated in sports but this was my first year that I could play middle school sports. I tried out for the football team and made it. I officially was an athlete for my school and I could not have been more excited. I felt like I mattered. My relationship with my father was like any other. Or at least I thought. As the season went on, the only time he came to anything of mine was to pick me up from practice or after an away game; to make it worse, he never came to any of my games which disappointed me. But it never occurred to me that something was weird between us.