Summary and Response Essay
Brandon Valentin
Professor Killebrew and Balum
FIQWS 10108
September 29, 2021
Summary and Response Essay on “This is Water”
David Foster Wallace’s speech “This is water”, published in 2005, explores the human mind on default settings and what it means to adjust the settings of the mind. The main themes of Awareness and mental freedom, which is only achieved outside of our “default settings”, shows how much of a slave we are to our minds because of some of our inability to choose how we think. The way we think and act based on our basic self-centeredness shows the course theme of “self and other”, where we are the center of the universe in our own minds.
“This is Water” is a text that originates from a commencement speech given by Wallace in 2005 and shows the themes of awareness and mental freedom. The speech depicts what it means to be in default settings. Wallace believes that when we are born there is a certain self-centeredness that is hardwired into our minds at birth. This self centeredness gives us the idea that we are the most important person in the world. Wallace teaches us not just “How to think”, but how to exercise some control over how and what we think.
In “This is Water ” Wallace says what it means to be aware of others and mental freedom. Being aware of others means that you understand that there are other people living on this planet other than just you. Everyone is different from you. People’s issues, hopes, desires, wants, and needs are all unique from one another. Wallace talks about a busy shopping day on default settings: “ because my natural default setting is the certainty that situations like this are really about me, about my hungriness and my fatigue and my desire to get home, and it’s going to seen, for all the world, like everybody else is just in my way” (Wallace 4&5 ). These quotes show how someone thinks when they are unaware of others and believe that everyone else is in his way even though in reality those people are shopping for their own needs. Another quote Wallace says is that, “The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able to truly care about other people and to sacrifice for them” (Wallace 7&8). This quote means that being aware of others and caring for others needs and issues can give you freedom. In the quote it says “Sacrifice for them”, but it doesn’t mean to give your life. It means to sacrifice things like your time in the case of a busy shopping situation. People are shopping for their own reasons, sacrifice your time so you and everyone else can not be stressed out.
Another point that is brought up in Wallace’s “This is Water” is the positives if adjusting your settings. The positives to awareness of others is mental freedom, but what does that mean? Wallace says, “You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t. You get to decide what to worship” (Wallace 6). This quote defines what mental freedom is. Your freedom to choose and not just go with what your mind tells you to do. Mental freedom gives you options beyond just the physical aspects of the world but much more. If you worship the physical aspects of this world you may never be satisfied. For example, if you worship money you may never be satisfied with the amount of money you have.
A third point that arises in “This is Water” is the negatives of having “default settings”. Wallace states you need to learn how to choose what has meaning, “Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed” (Wallace 3). In this quote Wallace talks about the importance of being able to control your thoughts and that if you cannot do that, your mind can become harmful to yourself. When Wallace says “Hosed” he means screwed. He goes on to talk about suicides by gunshot to the head and it is not a coincidence because the mind can be an “excellent servant but a terrible master”. This strengthens the point that mental freedom and awareness of others is very important, especially to be happy with oneself.
I think that David Wallace’s speech “This is Water” is important because it shows the importance of not having default settings. “Default settings” is like being unconscious because you are unaware that there are other things more important in this world than you. Everyone has their own experiences and issues just like you and me. The idea of default settings helps me understand why people act certain ways. For example, I work at a pizza spot and people come in all the time rushing us to make them food. I am aware of other people in this world so I do not get angry with them and I try to understand their situation. If I was on default settings I would have answered that person back and it would have had a negative effect on me and the business. This idea of default settings relates to “self and other” because with default settings your wants, and needs are more important and real than any other person’s wants, and needs. Self and other refers to the concept that other people have their own thoughts and body and lives that are separate from mine. Therefore, I am me
In “This is Water” by Wallace, the idea of default settings shows the course of the theme of “self and other” by showing what it means to be aware of others and mental freedom. The author showed the positive effects of default settings which included the choice to how and what we think. He also showed the negative effects of default settings which meant harm to oneself. All in all, being aware of others’ existence and having mental freedom will help you be able to choose how and what you think rather than just thinking you are the center of the universe. CAUSE YOU ARE NOT!
