by: Mikayla Hill
Summary: The speech “This is Water” by David Foster heavily emphasizes the importance of being aware and empathic in everyday adulthood. He states that our “default” setting in life is to be self-centered and only care for your own well-being. He argues that we need to work and think differently about everyday life to overcome this standpoint. He tells the graduates he is giving a speech to that they should look at the different viewpoints to the negative things in their day. He gives an example with traffic. He says that “I can spend time in the end of the day being disgusted about all the huge, stupid, lane-blocking SUVs and hummers and V-12 pickup trucks…” (Foster 4). He expresses how this ruins his days after a long day at work and the grocery store and the last thing he needs after a stressful day. He then goes to say, “…some of these people in SUVs have been in horrible auto accidents in the past, and now find driving so terrifying that their therapist has all but ordered them to get a huge, heavy SUV so they can feel safe enough to drive…maybe being driven by a father whose little child is hurt or sick…” (Foster 5). He gives the side that most people don’t go into think about which is the empathic part of the terrible days. Taking other people’s problems into consideration instead of just your own. By choosing how to think, we can choose to have compassion and avoid isolation in situations. The speech is a call to empathy and awareness to make life more meaningful and less miserable.
3 main arguments: In David Fosters, “This is Water” speech, he argues that the real value of education lies in developing awareness in the choices you make in everyday life. First, he emphazises the importance of challenging our “default” setting of being self-centered. He urges us to consider the perspectives and needs of other people and not just your own. Second, foster highlights the freedom that comes from learning how to control our thoughts and how good it truly feels. This guides us to find meaning and empathy throughout the day. Finally, he agrues that true freedom to a person is the happiness that comes choosing the good side to things and the empathic side to things. Not to live a miserable life. Connecting to the world in a compassionate positive way instead of a negative.
I do agree with the main arguments that David Foster has stated. I think to be a good person and to not be miserable in every situation you are put in, you need to look at things in a good way and even if some scenarios aren’t true, thinking that someone is doing something for a certain reason could bring happiness and calmness to your life.
I do believe he is referring to empathy throughout his speech. He goes intp show many examples that are almost perfect examples of empathy to me which is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.
I quote a would like to challenge is “Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out”. I challenge this because this could ruin self-image in a way with acceptance and growth. Also, if you go into something with the mindset of being dumb then you will turn out dumb but if you into something with the mindset of excelling you will excel.
This can relate back to Paul bloom with the whole idea of empathy to others. Being in a mindset where empathy is added, you come out better and happier. Although Paul bloom went into the negatives of empathy, David foster went into the positives which gave a good parallel.
