THIS IS WATER! by David Foster Wallace

Summary

In this insightful commencement speech, the speaker uses the metaphor of fish oblivious to the water they swim in to illustrate how the most obvious realities of life are often the hardest to perceive. The narrative delves into the mundane frustrations of adult life, urging graduates to recognize the power of conscious thought in shaping their experiences. The speech emphasizes the importance of awareness and the freedom that comes from choosing how to perceive the world, challenging the default setting of self-centeredness and advocating for a more compassionate and reflective approach to life.

Takeaways

• 🧐 The story of the fish serves as a metaphor for the difficulty in recognizing and discussing the most obvious and important realities in life.
• 🌊 The phrase 'this is water' is a reminder to be aware of the everyday, mundane aspects of life that we often overlook.
• 🎓 The commencement speech addresses the graduating seniors, emphasizing that they are about to enter a phase of life filled with routine and the mundane.
• 🛒 The script uses the example of an average adult's day, including the frustration of traffic, crowded supermarkets, and long checkout lines, to illustrate the daily challenges of adult life.
• 🤯 It points out that the default human setting is to view such situations as being about oneself, which can lead to feelings of anger and misery.
• 💭 The speaker suggests that there are alternative ways to think about these situations, which require conscious effort and willpower to adopt.
• 🌈 It is possible to view even frustrating and tedious experiences as meaningful and sacred by choosing to pay attention differently.
• 🤔 The script encourages the audience to consider the broader context and the lives of others when faced with everyday annoyances.
• 💡 The power of education is not just about acquiring knowledge but about learning how to think and pay attention in a way that brings freedom and awareness.
• 🔑 The true freedom comes from the ability to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn't, which is a product of being well-educated and understanding how to think.
• 🏁 The speech concludes by emphasizing the importance of awareness and the value of a real education that is focused on life before death, rather than grand philosophical questions.

Q & A

What is the central metaphor used in the script to illustrate the point about the difficulty of recognizing the obvious?

The central metaphor is the story of the two young fish and the older fish, where the older fish asks about the water, highlighting that the most obvious and important realities are often the hardest to see and talk about.

What does the script suggest is the 'default setting' of an adult's life?

The script suggests that the 'default setting' of an adult's life is a state of automatic, self-centered thinking that perceives frustrating situations as being all about oneself.

Why does the script mention the example of an average adult day with work, traffic, and grocery shopping?

The script uses this example to illustrate the mundane and frustrating aspects of adult life that are often overlooked and to emphasize the importance of conscious decision-making in how we perceive and react to these situations.

What is the 'automatic unconscious belief' referred to in the script?

The 'automatic unconscious belief' is the natural tendency to believe that one is the center of the world and that one's immediate needs and feelings should determine the world's priorities.

How does the script describe the potential impact of not making a conscious decision about how to think and what to pay attention to?

The script suggests that without making a conscious decision, one is likely to become angry and miserable, perceiving every frustrating situation as being about oneself and feeling that everyone else is just in the way.

What alternative ways of thinking are suggested in the script to deal with frustrating situations?

The script suggests considering the possibility that others may have their own struggles and hardships, and that their actions may not be intended to cause annoyance but are a result of their own circumstances.

What is the 'real value' of a real education according to the script?

According to the script, the real value of a real education is not about accumulating knowledge but about developing simple awareness and the ability to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn't.

What does the script mean when it says 'this is water'?

The phrase 'this is water' is a reminder to be aware of the ordinary and essential aspects of life that are often taken for granted or overlooked, serving as a metaphor for the need to recognize and appreciate the reality of our everyday experiences.

How does the script define 'freedom' in the context of the speech?

The script defines 'freedom' as the ability to make conscious decisions about how to perceive and interpret the world, rather than being trapped in an automatic, self-centered default setting.

What is the main message the script wants to convey to the graduating seniors?

The main message is that the graduating seniors should learn to be well-adjusted by becoming aware of their default settings and learning how to consciously choose their perspective on life's mundane and frustrating experiences.

How does the script differentiate between 'moral advice' and the perspective it is advocating?

The script clarifies that it is not giving moral advice or suggesting a 'right' way to think, but rather it is highlighting the importance of being aware of one's thought processes and the freedom to choose how to perceive reality.

Outlines

00:00

🐟 The Fish and the Metaphor for Adult Life

The first paragraph introduces a metaphorical story about two young fish who encounter an older fish asking about the water, prompting a reflection on the nature of the most obvious yet overlooked realities in life. The narrative shifts to address the graduating seniors, emphasizing the mundane and frustrating aspects of adult life that are rarely discussed in commencement speeches. The author uses the example of a typical adult day, filled with routine tasks and frustrations, such as grocery shopping after a long day at work, to illustrate the point that these moments are where choices in perspective and attention begin to matter. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that our natural default setting is to view these situations as personal inconveniences, but there is an opportunity to consciously decide how to think about them.

05:00

🛒 Conscious Choices in the Face of Mundanity

The second paragraph delves deeper into the idea of making conscious choices about how to perceive and react to the routine and frustrating parts of life. It suggests that by considering alternative perspectives, such as recognizing that others may have their own struggles and reasons for their behavior, one can shift from a self-centered view to a more empathetic and understanding one. The author argues that this ability to choose how to think and what to pay attention to is a form of freedom and a true mark of education. The paragraph challenges the notion of default settings and encourages the audience to practice awareness and conscious thought, even if it is difficult. It concludes by stating that the real value of education lies not in the accumulation of knowledge but in the cultivation of simple awareness and the ability to find meaning and sacredness in everyday life.

Keywords

💡Water

In the script, 'water' is used metaphorically to represent the mundane, everyday aspects of life that are so common we often overlook them. The fish story illustrates that the most obvious realities can be the hardest to see and discuss. The phrase 'this is water' at the end serves as a reminder to be aware of the simple, yet essential, elements of our existence.

💡Adult Existence

Adult existence in the script refers to the realities and responsibilities that come with growing up, such as work, routine, and dealing with frustration. It is contrasted with the more idealistic views of life that might be held by younger individuals, emphasizing the importance of understanding the day-to-day challenges that adults face.

💡Banality

Banality is mentioned in the context of a platitude, suggesting that the most obvious truths can seem trite or unimportant. However, the script argues that these banal truths are critical to understanding the realities of adult life, such as the routine and frustration described.

💡Commencement Speech

A commencement speech is traditionally a formal address given at a graduation ceremony. The script notes that certain aspects of adult life, like boredom and frustration, are often not discussed in such speeches, indicating a gap between the idealized messages of commencement speeches and the actual experiences of graduates.

💡Boredom

Boredom is identified as a part of adult life that is rarely mentioned in commencement speeches but is a common experience, especially in the context of routine tasks. The script uses the example of grocery shopping to illustrate the tedium that can accompany everyday activities.

💡Routine

Routine is depicted as a significant component of adult life, often involving repetitive tasks and predictable patterns. The script suggests that the monotony of routine can lead to feelings of frustration and the need for conscious choices to find meaning in these activities.

💡Frustration

Frustration is a recurring theme in the script, particularly in the context of dealing with the less enjoyable aspects of daily life, such as traffic and long lines. It is used to highlight the emotional response to the challenges of adult existence and the importance of managing these feelings.

💡Conscious Decision

The concept of making a conscious decision is central to the script's message. It suggests that individuals have the power to choose how they perceive and react to situations, such as the frustrations of adult life, and that this choice is a key aspect of personal freedom and growth.

💡Default Setting

The 'default setting' refers to the automatic, often self-centered way in which people perceive the world around them. The script argues that this natural tendency can lead to feelings of frustration and entitlement, but it can be overridden by conscious thought and empathy.

💡Sacred

The term 'sacred' is used in the script to describe the potential for finding meaning and significance in even the most mundane situations. It suggests that by changing our perspective, we can transform ordinary experiences into something profound and valuable.

💡Education

Education in this context is not just about acquiring knowledge but also about learning how to think and pay attention. The script posits that true education involves becoming aware of the realities of life and developing the ability to find meaning in them, which is a lifelong process.

💡Awareness

Awareness is a key concept in the script, emphasizing the importance of being present and cognizant of one's surroundings and internal state. It is suggested as a means to escape the 'default setting' and to consciously choose how to interpret and respond to life's challenges.

Highlights

The story of the young fish and the older fish serves as a metaphor for the importance of recognizing and discussing the most obvious realities in life.

The narrative emphasizes the difficulty of seeing and talking about the most important realities that are often right in front of us.

The commencement speech addresses the graduating seniors' lack of understanding of the true meaning of day-to-day life.

The speaker discusses the mundane aspects of adult life, such as boredom, routine, and petty frustrations, which are often overlooked in commencement speeches.

An example of an average adult day is given, illustrating the challenges of work, traffic, and grocery shopping.

The speaker highlights the tedium and stress of everyday tasks, such as shopping in crowded supermarkets and dealing with long checkout lines.

The importance of making conscious decisions about how to think and what to pay attention to is emphasized to avoid frustration and misery.

The natural default setting of perceiving situations as being about oneself and one's immediate needs is critiqued.

The speaker encourages the audience to consider alternative perspectives on frustrating situations, such as empathizing with others' hardships.

The idea that everyone in a frustrating situation, like a supermarket checkout line, may have their own struggles is presented.

The speaker suggests that the work of choosing how to perceive and react to situations is where personal growth occurs.

The concept of freedom through conscious decision-making and awareness is introduced as the essence of a real education.

The speech argues that true freedom comes from the ability to decide what has meaning and what doesn't, rather than being dictated by default settings.

The alternative to conscious awareness is described as unconsciousness, leading to a life of constant dissatisfaction and a sense of loss.

The speaker emphasizes that the value of a real education lies not in knowledge accumulation but in the development of simple awareness.

The speech concludes by stressing the importance of being aware of the reality and essence of life that is often hidden in plain sight.

The phrase 'this is water' is repeated as a reminder to continually recognize and appreciate the simple, essential aspects of life that are so often overlooked.

Transcripts

there are these two young fish swimming

along

they happen to meet an older fish

swimming the other way who nods at them

and says morning boys how's the water

and the two young fish swim on for a bit

and that eventually one of them looks

over at the other and goes what the hell

is water

the point of the fish story is merely

that the most obvious important

realities are often the ones that are

hardest to see and talk about

stated as an English sentence of course

this is just a banal platitude

but the fact is that in the day-to-day

trenches of adult existence but all

platitudes can have a life or death

importance

the plain fact is that you graduating

seniors do not yet have any clue what

day in day out really means

there happen to be whole large parts of

adult American life that nobody talks

about in commencement speeches

one such part involves boredom routine

and Petty frustration the parents and

older folks here will know all too well

what I'm talking about

by way of example let's say it's an

average adult day

and you get up in the morning go to your

challenging White Collar college

graduate job and you work hard for eight

or ten hours and at the end of the day

you're tired and somewhat stressed and

all you want is to go home and have a

good supper and maybe unwind for an hour

and then hit the sack early because of

course you have to get up the next day

and do it all again

then you remember there's no food at

home you haven't had time to shop this

week because of your challenging job

and so now after work you have to get in

your car and drive to the supermarket

it's the end of a work day and the

traffic is have to be very bad so

getting to the store takes way longer

than it should and when you finally get

there the supermarket is very crowded

because of course it's the time of day

when all the other people with jobs also

try to squeeze in some grocery shopping

but you can't just get in and quickly

out you have to wander all over the huge

overlit stores confusing aisles to find

the stuff you want and you have to

maneuver your junkie cart through all

these other tired hurried people apart

etc etc cutting stuff out because it's a

long ceremony and eventually

you get all your supper supplies except

now it turns out there aren't enough

checkout lanes open even though it's the

end of the day Rush so the checkout line

is incredibly long which is stupid and

infuriating but you can't take your

frustration out on the Frantic lady

working the register who was overworked

at a job who's daily tedium and

meaninglessness surpasses the

imagination of any of us here at a

prestigious college but anyway you

finally get to the checkout lines front

and you pay for your food and get told

to have a nice day in a voice that is

the absolute voice of death

and then you have to take your creepy

flimsy plastic bags of groceries in your

cart with the one crazy wheel that pulls

madly to the left all the way out

through the crowded bumpy literary

parking lot and then you have to drive

all the way home from slow heavy SUV

intensive rush hour traffic

etc etc

everyone here has done this of course

but it hasn't yet been part of you

graduates actual life routine day after

week after month after year but it will

be

and many more dreary annoying seemingly

meaningless routines besides

but that is not the point the point is

that petty frustrating crap like this is

exactly where the work of choosing is

going to come in

because the traffic jams and crowded

aisles and long checkout lines give me

time to think

and 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 shop

because my natural default setting is

uncertainty that situations like this

are really all about me

about my hungriness and my fatigue and

my desire to just get home and it's

going to seem for all the world like

everybody else is just in my way

and who are all these people in my way

and look at how repulsive most of them

are and how stupid and cow-like and

dead-eyed and non-human they see him in

the checkout line or at how annoying and

rude it is that people are talking

loudly on cell phones in the middle of

the line and look at how deeply

personally unfair this is

if I choose to think this way in the

store and on the freeway fine lots of us

do except thinking this way tends to be

so easy and automatic that it doesn't

have to be a choice it is my natural

default setting

automatic 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

the thing is that of course there are

totally different ways to think about

these kinds of situations in this

traffic all these vehicles stuck and

idling in my way it's not impossible

that some of these people in SUVs have

been in horrible auto accidents in the

past and now find driving so terrifying

that the therapist has all that ordered

them to get a huge heavy SUV so they can

feel safe enough to drive

or I can choose to force myself to

consider the likelihood that everyone

else in the supermarket's checkout line

is just as bored and frustrated as I am

and that some of these people probably

have much harder more tedious or painful

lives than I do

again please don't think I'm giving you

moral advice or that I'm saying you're

supposed to think this way or that

anyone expects you to just automatically

do it because it's hard it takes will

and effort and if you are like me some

days you won't be able to do it or you

just flat out won't want to but most

days if you're aware enough to give

yourself a choice you can choose to look

differently at this fat dead-eyed over

made up lady who just screamed at her

kid in the checkout line maybe she's not

usually like this maybe she's been up

three straight nights holding the hand

of her husband who's dying of bone

cancer

or maybe this very ladies the low-wage

clerk at the Motor Vehicles Department

who just yesterday helped your spouse

resolve a horrific infuriating red tape

problem through some small active

bureaucratic kindness

of course none of this is likely but

it's also not impossible

it just depends what you want to

consider

if you're automatically sure that you

know what reality is and who and what is

really important

if you want to operate on your default

setting then you like me probably won't

consider possibilities that aren't

annoying and miserable

but if you've really learned how to

think

how to pay attention then you will know

you have other options it will actually

be within your power to experience a

crowded hot slow consumer hell type

situation as not only meaningful but

sacred

on fire with the same force that Lit the

Stars love Fellowship

mystical Oneness of all things deep down

not that that mystical stuff's

necessarily true the only thing that's

capital T true is that you get to decide

how you're going to try to see it

this I submit is the freedom of real

education of learning how to be well

adjusted you get to consciously decide

what has meaning and what doesn't

that is real freedom that is being

educated and understanding how to thinks

the alternative is unconsciousness the

default setting the rat race the

constant gnawing sense of having had and

lost some infinite thing

I know that this stuff probably doesn't

sound fun and Breezy or grandly

inspirational the way a commencement

speech is supposed to sound

what it is as far as I can see is the

capital T truth with a whole lot of

rhetorical niceties Stripped Away

you are of course free to think of it

whatever you wish

but please don't just dismiss it as some

finger wagging Dr Laura sermon

none of this stuff is really about

morality or religion or Dogma or big

fancy questions of life after death

the capital T truth is about life before

death

it is about the real value of a real

education which has almost nothing to do

with knowledge and everything to do with

simple awareness

awareness of what is so real and

essential

so hidden in plain sight all around us

all the time that we have to keep

reminding ourselves over and over

this is water

this is water

foreign