This is Water - by David Foster Wallace

I have probably listened to the late David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech over 20 times (including again today as I was driving around town).  The title of this 23-minute speech is "This is Water," where DFW addresses,among other things, our power or freedom to choose how and what we think about.    

Would love to show this video to my high school students - it addresses the Franklian concepts of freedom of will (in particular of one's attitude) and self-transcendence.  A couple of my favorite lines are as follows:

(His explanation of the point of the "fish parable" at the beginning of his speech):  "The most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about."

(And toward the end of the speech):  "The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day. That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think."

And finally, perhaps my favorite ......"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."

Here is the link:

Would love to hear other's comments about this speech :)

"How's the water, boys?"