An Alt Default Setting

December 25, 2024: “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Ebenezer Scrooge 

This is Water is a remarkable essay and a commencement speech given to a  graduating college class by David Foster Wallace on the real value of education. It has almost nothing to do with knowledge or the traditional claim of learning how to think but instead it’s about what we choose to think about. Wallace asks his audience to examine the nature of awareness. To be aware of the thoughts that dominate our minds and observe how easy it is to fall into a default setting of self-centeredness and unconscience living. He acknowledges that being aware of what we choose to think about can be hard work and takes practice. 

The idea is “adjust our default setting” away from the automatic, unconscious ways we perceive and react to the world around us. People often operate on autopilot, viewing life through a self-centered point of view which can lead to frustration, boredom, or resentment. A person who’s default setting is narrowly focused on their needs, thoughts, and feelings is not choosing what to think about. What then gets unnoticed or unappreciated?

As an example, instead of getting frustrated or angry when faced with tedious or challenging circumstances, like being stuck in traffic or dealing with difficult people, Wallace advocates for a mindset that allows us to step outside of ourselves and understand there are challenges and burdens other people might be facing. In essence to recognize our shared humanity. 

By choosing “what we think about” in these situations we cultivate a deeper understanding of our world and of ourselves and we can transform everyday ordinary experiences into something richer and more meaningful. 

A similar concept is  nicely expressed in a quote attributed to Kurt Vonnegut: “Life is a garden, not a road. We enter and exit through the same gate. Wandering, where we go matters less than what we notice.”