

“What the hell is water” (Wallace x)? In David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech “This Is Water” Wallace tries to open the human mind and make individuals question what they believe they know to what they actually know. Wallace also strives to help people break down the barrier of their “default setting” and help them understand that there is so much more we are not even noticing. By paying close attention to David Foster Wallace’s use of repetition and irony we notice the deep comparison between a world where we just go through the motions and believe we know everything to a world where we open our eyes and truly understand what we realistically know; this is important because Wallace argues that knowing who you are helps propel you through life and makes you into the person you so desperately want to be. 

Correspondingly, repetition plays a ginormous role within Wallace’s speech. For example, Wallace writes “Think about it: there is no experience you have had that you are not the absolute center of. The world as you experience it is there in front of YOU or behind YOU, to the left or right of YOU, on YOUR TV or YOUR monitor…”(Wallace xii). By stating this Wallace is conveying the message that the only thing people know or think about is themselves. As humans, people tend to only see the things closest to them without looking beyond and seeing what is ahead. Individuals are not pushing the envelope to see what more can be known, but stay in their own bubble doing the same thing day in and day out. If the only thing individuals see is what is in plain sight or what they can see without striving for more, they are put into a relapsing cycle of mediocrity not giving themselves a chance to become who they truly want to be.   Similarly, Wallace states, “…because my natural default setting is the certainty that situations like this are really all about me. About MY fatigue and MY desire to just get home/everybody else is just in MY way” (Wallace xiv). 

By saying this, Wallace means that no matter how hard people try to be compassionate and engaging towards others we as humans will always return to who we know best…ourselves. Wallace is trying to make it clear that no matter the circumstance humans become stuck, but never try to get free. By getting stuck, our minds become useless and never branch out to obtain new information that can help shape us into the best version of ourselves. The version that we all so desperately long to find through exploring who we really are. In addition, Wallace mentions, “…thinking this way tends to be so easy and automatic that it doesn’t have to be a choice/it’s the automatic way that I experience the boring, frustrating, crowded parts of adult life when I’m operating on the automatic, unconscious belief that I am the center of the world...,” (Wallace xiv-xv) meaning that, although, humans try to move forward, they will inevitably return to their automatic way of life. Wallace also implies that being in this automatic setting makes moving through life easier and a no brainer, but by staying in this mindset the only focus will, dominantly, be yourself and by only focusing on yourself mental, physical and emotional growth will be impossible.

In addition, irony, like repetition, propels the speech adding uncanny parallels and relatable examples that tie together the uncertainty of the human mind. To emphasize, Wallace mentions “…Because a huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded…” By stating this, Wallace is not only pointing out that what he believes he knows is wrong but also that, although, he was sure it was right he was able to accept the fact that he was wrong and learn from that. Being able to expand your mindset and learn from others is the main focus of the entire speech. If we close our minds to new ways of thinking and new ideas we will never be able to become something better than we are now. Growth is the single most important concept in the American culture. People are constantly trying to grow, whether it be through knowledge, power, money or skill everyone has something they want to improve. Similarly, Wallace states “…adults who commit suicide with firearms shoot themselves in the head. They shoot the terrible master. And the truth is that most of these suicides are actually dead long before they pull the trigger.” (Wallace xiii).

This explains the reasoning behind the longing and need to escape the automatic way of life. If you are able to escape the hole that is automatic, there will never be a “terrible master” to destroy. Wallace himself committed suicide, which is ironic in and of itself. He preached the importance of expansion and how once you’ve accepted that you truly know nothing you will be able grasp what you have longed for forever. And that, is finally figuring out who you are inside and what your true purpose is.

Although some may disagree with these interpretations, it is undeniable that David Foster Wallace wanted to distinguish between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. Being able to break the mold between mental suppression and mental expression helps build people and make them who they are. Wallace wanted to bring to attention the importance of students being able to absorb new information, to figure things out and to become something more than what they are. By finding your true meaning and figuring out who you are, your mind becomes clear and is no longer focused on personal gain, but is instead focused on moving forward and looking ahead to new and enlightening avenues. David Foster Wallace flawlessly accomplishes the comparison between an automatic world where we believe we know everything to a world where expression and absorption helps us connect to one another. 
