"Kenyon Commencement Speech"
I personally believe that David Foster Wallace chose to discuss these ideas as part of a graduation speech because he's letting the young "fish" aware of new realizations that are bound to come within the future of these students. Wallace explains how as you grow you "leaen how to think". I also believe that it's be less valuable when read at some other time because graduation is all about starting a new chapter in your life just as starting a new chapter in "learning how to think". After reading Wallace's essay I was able to up with some common knowledge about him. I believe that he is the type of man in which belives that there is always some room for improvement. Wallace presents himself as a very considerate person when it comes to the way others think and peoples opinions, no matter the differences in diversity of beliefs. Wallace assumes that majority of his young audience only pays attention to what is right in front of them, the common sense of things and does not pay attention to what is going on inside themselves. The elderly in my opinion might feel excluded from his speech because they have lived their life and they know majority of what goes on due to personal/hands on experience. I 100% without a doubt agree with Wallace's points and arguments within this essay of his because every point that he stated included a valid point, and great examples and explanation.
I agree with Rebecca's point about how graduation is a new chapter of your life and how you have to "learn how to think" again. I also agree with Wallace when he talks about everyday adult life and how we are so easily frustrated at grocery stores or even on the highway, but as a college student I believe we do the same thing. Going to class everyday instead of being able to sleep in can seem tedious and just frustrating. Whereas instead we should be grateful that we are even granted the chance to expand our minds and become more educated. I do think Wallace is saying in his speech that improvement is necessary and we could all use some. I believe we all have the choice to wake up in the morning with an open mind or we can wake up already thinking we know all there is to know. Also, I believe his point about being a little less arrogant. We won’t be able to learn from each other if we are all arrogant. There will be no room for growing and making good choices. I think we should walk out of every situation and look at it as a lesson. To have a different perspective, instead of using our natural default setting. Wallace is very humble when talking about how he’s not the older fish that he still has things to work on as well. We all do, and that’s the great thing of being able to make our own choices.
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