This is Water, David Foster Wallace, 2009 – This book is a commencement speech the author gave in 2005, so obviously its not very big. It can be read in 30 mins to an hour at most. It is clever, witty and insightful in content.
The author advises the students to think critically, think about the obvious and mundane (water, for the fishes) be open-minded to others’ viewpoints and avoid blind arrogance. Our own thoughts and feelings being immediate and obvious puts us at a huge disadvantage to truly understanding others without bias.
Learning “how to think” is in reality just learning about “how” and “what” to think about. About what you pay attention to. You will precisely end up being what you pay attention to. The meaning you choose to see from life is completely in your control, because you are after all the centre of the universe.
It is almost zen-like in parts, on the bits about worship, power and of course freedom – of freedom being about attention, awareness, discipline, effort and sacrifice. Whoever thought of freedom this way? 8/10
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