Kenyon Commencement Speech

            In his Kenyon Commencement Speech, David Foster Wallace presents an interesting viewpoint on life. He discusses how life consists of fundamental choices that affect the way people view and engage in the world. According to Wallace, the main choice people have to make is whether they will continue through life with their default setting or our tendency to be completely self-centered and unaware of others. He then goes on to explain how switching from our positive default setting can be beneficial for people, as it helps with the little irritating happenings from day to day.

            I do find Wallace’s idea to be credible. It’s actually pretty basic when one thinks about it; it’s just easier said than done. I cannot recall how many times someone has told be to try to be more aware and look at the world from a different perspective. Yet, I always seem to fall back into my default setting. That is just the way it is. However, if I were to change my outlook, then of course the way I engage in the world would change as well. The hard part is just switching from default setting.

            I myself have a hard time switching from the default setting. I don’t necessarily go around with a negative energy, but I can be self-centered quite a bit. Whenever someone annoys me, I don’t think, “Oh they might be going through something.” I think about myself, and how I would like them to leave me alone. I’m always looking out for myself, even when helping others. However, I would like to be off the default setting sometimes. I feel like it would help me to be more aware of my surroundings.

            In the audio version of Wallace’s speech, the audience often claps in places where Wallace is actually insulting them. They clap when he discusses the daily irritating things in life. They seem to be agreeing that they feel the same way when the grocery store is crowded or someone cuts them off while driving. It’s ironic because that is the exact type of behavior that Wallace was talking about in his speech. This indicates that they are all on the default setting. Hopefully, they realized this after he finished his speech.

            David Foster Wallace’s Kenyon Commencement speech provides an interesting insight into everyday life. His idea of life being made up of choices that ultimately affect how we view and engage in the world is very interesting and actually proves to be quite accurate. His speech helps those who read or listen to it understand why it is important to switch from the default setting every now and then.