David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement address, "This Is Water," transcends the typical platitudes of such occasions. Instead of offering easy aspirations, Wallace presents a profound, and at times unsettling, examination of human consciousness, the nature of default thinking, and the conscious effort required to live a meaningful, empathetic life. His central argument is that true freedom and awareness stem not from external circumstances, but from a deliberate choice to perceive the world and its inhabitants with deliberate attention and empathy, challenging the ingrained self-centeredness that often governs our daily existence.
Wallace opens by playfully illustrating the mundane, often unnoticed, realities of adult life through the anecdote of two young fish encountering an older fish who asks, "How's the water?" The younger fish, oblivious, swim on, unaware of the very element sustaining them. This parable serves as a potent metaphor for our own unthinking immersion in the "water" of our daily lives—our default settings, our ingrained habits of thought, and our unconscious biases. He argues that most adults live their lives on autopilot, trapped in a self-centered perspective that interprets every situation through the lens of personal convenience, frustration, or entitlement. This default setting, he contends, is not inherently evil, but it is profoundly limiting and leads to unhappiness and a failure to connect authentically with others.
The core of Wallace's message lies in advocating for a conscious, deliberate reordering of our thinking. He urges graduates to recognize that their "default setting" is not the only way to perceive reality. The supermarket checkout line, the frustrating traffic jam, the annoying coworker—these are not inherently unbearable irritations; they are simply situations. Our suffering arises from our interpretation, from the automatic, self-serving narrative we construct. Wallace proposes that by consciously choosing to think differently, by actively looking for the humanity in others and acknowledging that they too have complex inner lives and struggles, we can escape this trap. This requires effort, a constant vigilance against the seductive ease of self-absorption. He suggests that this deliberate attention, this "worship" of something larger than oneself, whether it be compassion, truth, or love, is the key to a richer, more fulfilling existence.
Furthermore, Wallace emphasizes that this conscious awareness is not about adopting a saccharine, Pollyannaish outlook. It is a difficult, sometimes painful, process of acknowledging the realities of human suffering and our own limitations. He doesn't offer easy answers or a quick fix. Instead, he presents a lifelong challenge: to actively choose empathy and awareness over the comfortable rut of self-centeredness. This requires a certain kind of courage—the courage to be present, to be aware, and to care, even when it's inconvenient or difficult. His message is a call to intellectual and emotional rigor, a demand that we engage with the world and each other with open eyes and open hearts, rather than retreating into the predictable confines of our own minds.
In conclusion, David Foster Wallace's "This Is Water" is far more than just a commencement speech; it is a philosophical primer on the art of living deliberately. By deconstructing the unconscious "default setting" that governs much of our perception, Wallace implores his audience to embrace the challenging but ultimately liberating practice of conscious awareness and empathy. He posits that true freedom is not the absence of external constraints, but the internal capacity to choose how we interpret and engage with the world, thereby transcending self-absorption and fostering deeper connection. It's a powerful call to arms for a generation about to enter a complex world, urging them to find meaning not in grand achievements, but in the quiet, persistent effort of mindful living.