I've just finished reading over David Foster Wallace's commencement speech that he gave to the graduates of Kenyon College in 2005, and surprisingly, it was pretty gosh darn interesting. I was pleasantly surprised after realizing this fact, because usually speeches can get very dull very quickly. However, Mr. Wallace manages to avoid this with his use of interesting personal anecdotes and thorough explanations.
The main point of Mr. Wallace's speech was that thinking needs to be a conscious decision. Throughout our boring daily routines, we often find ourselves going through the same thought processes and thinking about the same things every day. "Ugh, I hate rush hour traffic." "Why won't this woman shut up already and let me go home?" "I literally hate everything now, and I seriously just want to go to sleep for two weeks straight."
Now what's the problem with these types of thoughts, you ask? Nothing serious, really. In themselves, these complaints are purely little nuisances are just part of our "natural default setting," as Mr. Wallace explains. But it's the self-centered mindset that these complaints occur in that cause problems. In today's world and age, everything is centered around you. People are taught from an extremely young age to get to the top, and that it's okay to step on people on the way there. Every moment of your life should be focused on your needs, your wants, and your problems. And all together, this system of egocentricity is creating a population that will ultimately only care about itself. A selfish society will never be a cohesive one, a community that works together, considers others' feelings, and actually thinks about people other than themselves for once.
We need to start with the little things. Be patient with others. Try to stay forgiving. And no matter how cliche it may be, it doesn't hurt to take a walk in somebody else's shoes. Even though I'm just a lowly teenager, I can even benefit from adjusting my mindset. I can't count how many times I've come home from school and complained about my mother's cranky mood. However, once I really contemplate, I realize that I too would be a little grumpy after spending a whole 24 hours with three extremely difficult children, preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and attempting the almost impossible feat of driving an 11th grader, a 9th grader, and a 3rd grader to a plethora of extracurricular activities. After perusing Mr. Wallace's speech, I realize that I need to make a more conscious effort to consider others' feelings and circumstances before judging them.
So the next time you're upset with a rude barista or want to show a neighboring car your favorite obscene gesture, realize that the world does not revolve around you. That Starbucks barista might be going through a difficult breakup, or maybe she just got rejected from her favorite school. That middle-aged guy sitting in the truck next to you might be struggling with his rebellious teenage children or trying to get through his mother's death. You never really know. So don't let yourself fall back into the same rut of the same activities and same thoughts that you go through ever single day. Try to be different. Try to be compassionate.
The main point of Mr. Wallace's speech was that thinking needs to be a conscious decision. Throughout our boring daily routines, we often find ourselves going through the same thought processes and thinking about the same things every day. "Ugh, I hate rush hour traffic." "Why won't this woman shut up already and let me go home?" "I literally hate everything now, and I seriously just want to go to sleep for two weeks straight."
Now what's the problem with these types of thoughts, you ask? Nothing serious, really. In themselves, these complaints are purely little nuisances are just part of our "natural default setting," as Mr. Wallace explains. But it's the self-centered mindset that these complaints occur in that cause problems. In today's world and age, everything is centered around you. People are taught from an extremely young age to get to the top, and that it's okay to step on people on the way there. Every moment of your life should be focused on your needs, your wants, and your problems. And all together, this system of egocentricity is creating a population that will ultimately only care about itself. A selfish society will never be a cohesive one, a community that works together, considers others' feelings, and actually thinks about people other than themselves for once.
We need to start with the little things. Be patient with others. Try to stay forgiving. And no matter how cliche it may be, it doesn't hurt to take a walk in somebody else's shoes. Even though I'm just a lowly teenager, I can even benefit from adjusting my mindset. I can't count how many times I've come home from school and complained about my mother's cranky mood. However, once I really contemplate, I realize that I too would be a little grumpy after spending a whole 24 hours with three extremely difficult children, preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and attempting the almost impossible feat of driving an 11th grader, a 9th grader, and a 3rd grader to a plethora of extracurricular activities. After perusing Mr. Wallace's speech, I realize that I need to make a more conscious effort to consider others' feelings and circumstances before judging them.
So the next time you're upset with a rude barista or want to show a neighboring car your favorite obscene gesture, realize that the world does not revolve around you. That Starbucks barista might be going through a difficult breakup, or maybe she just got rejected from her favorite school. That middle-aged guy sitting in the truck next to you might be struggling with his rebellious teenage children or trying to get through his mother's death. You never really know. So don't let yourself fall back into the same rut of the same activities and same thoughts that you go through ever single day. Try to be different. Try to be compassionate.