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David Foster Wallace's Commencement Speech To College Graduates

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Although being extremely intelligent suggests that an individual knows how to think doesn’t mean that they know how to choose what to think about. In David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech to college graduates, he explains to them that they must become aware of others and by doing so must learn how to think. Receiving an education doesn’t only include learning subjects such as science or math, but also controlling what and how you think about your everyday life and surroundings. Changing the way you think influences how you view others and the way you experience life. By changing their thoughts to take account of others each individual must go against how they have been thinking their entire lives, only about themselves. Since in each person’s head the center of the universe are themselves, it’s difficult to think differently, but according to David being …show more content…

Unless you change your way of thinking you won’t take the time to appreciate and value each moment of your life. Different situations that you may come across will be viewed differently if you change the way you think. This is explained in David’s story of driving to the supermarket and waiting in line at the store. While waiting in line he is easily frustrated by everyone because to him they are all repulsive human beings. If he alters his thoughts by at least trying to understand that others are also having a bad day then maybe he will be able to go through the day without the need of wanting to remind himself how disgusting everyone is because they are disturbing him. By changing your perspective on others the less miserable you will be and the more you will be able to endure the tedious, irritating moments in your life. Even though David makes it sound easy, it isn’t because that is how we are accustomed to think are entire life, our default

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In his commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005, David Foster Wallace was tasked with the responsibility of imparting some wisdom onto the graduating class. Wallace’s message to a room of full soon-to-be college graduates at the precipice of the of their impending true adulthood, he offers them a message that cuts through the mess and concisely delivers a message that many would ironically overlook, which is for the students to realize that at times, imperative life lessons are not only the ones that they cannot conceive or believe, but the ones that are obvious but hard to acknowledge let alone discuss. The lesson in this is that no matter how instinctive that cynicism is, it is imperative that people must try to more honest and open

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