This Is Water by David Foster Wallace Full Speech
Joe Mita
Why leaders watch it
Wallace on choosing what to pay attention to and how to act with awareness and empathy in routine, frustrating moments.
David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon College, about the default settings of the mind, choosing what to pay attention to, and what we end up worshipping.
Takeaways
- Default thinking is self-centered; choose your focus deliberately
- Daily routine tests character more than big moments
- Awareness and empathy are practiced, not given
Topics: Ethics & character, Resilience & wellbeing
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