Is there one correct way to see the world? One correct way to worship? Is there a right and wrong choice for every situation? Maybe you view the world in a different way than the person next to you. Or maybe you view yourself in the wrong way allowing a negative connotation to fall into place. You may not know at the time but in fact you may just be operating on your default setting. In This is Water, David Foster Wallace puts forth the idea that everyone has their own default setting but what is in common is that it may not be the best choice in representing yourself. 

Your so-called default setting sometimes takes over your ability to make the simple and better choices in life. This is depicted very early on when Wallace writes, “Or, of course, if I’m in a more socially conscious liberal arts form of my default setting, I can spend time in the end-of-the-day traffic being disgusted about all the huge, stupid, lane-blocking SUV’s and Hummers and V-12 pickup trucks, burning their wasteful, selfish, forty-gallon tanks of gas…” (Wallace XIV). Wallace suggests through this quote, all humans are stuck in this natural state of mind, and in reality that’s how the mind works: through your automatic thinking and social conscious. When in this socially conscious, liberal-arts state of mind, people may tend to dwell on the problems in society. You take the social injustices into account and have a sensitivity towards them. It connects the ideas of activism, hence taking action to affect change. This ultimately allows one to take action of their choices to change how they would normally think and act, and maybe making the better choices than the normal default setting choices. 

Now of course, this is where the idea of choice comes into play. Even though one may be socially conscious of the problems around them, they still may have a better choice, ultimately leading to the idea of liberalism and equality/freedom of speech. For example, when Wallace writes, “It’s not impossible that some of these people in the SUV’s 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” (Wallace XV). He makes the point that you could make a better choice, like this one, even if one was being socially conscious from the beginning. One can look at this default setting in a liberal way and the way all Americans should be, or they could be looking at it in a completely different way. The main setback is the idea that even if you are looking at the problem in a way the average American citizen should be (a liberal way), there still may be an alternate that is far better. This default setting is not the same for everyone, but the commonality is that there is always a better option. This simple choice, through thinking and making your priorities second, can ultimately alter that “default setting” in a better way for many.

Wallace goes on to later explain the “default settings,” but in a remarkably different way than before, with a different type of choosing. “Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful, it’s that they’re unconscious. They are default settings” (Wallace XVI). This idea of choosing is shifted a little bit. You are not being socially conscious and aware, but in fact oblivious to the choice and worship that is being made. You no longer can make that simple choice of looking at things positively while in the grocery store or in traffic on your way home from work. These are much more complex problems but still your “default settings”. These rather take on a deeper meaning. This is another sort of default setting that each person can possess in a different way, but as seen here it may not be the best thing to worship, thus the best decision.  

Wallace uses the word insidious to explain how these concepts and worships creep up on you without even knowing. As stated above Wallace states, “But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful, it’s that they’re unconscious” (Wallace XVI). The word insidious is defined as “proceeding in a gradual way” but the main takeback is that it is done without harmful effects. That part can be related to evil and sinful, which Wallace brings up next. These worships are not insidious (harmful) and/or evil and sinful but in contrast, they can be differentiated with unconsciousness to show that they are not just negative comebacks that are happening in your life. They are simply unknown and automatic worships being made, caring a negative connotation behind them. You still have the choice, but in a different way; the choice to not make decisions but the choice to be true to yourself, the truth of what you are really worshipping. This is still your so-called “default setting” but more-so how you see your values that you get pulled into. It is difficult to get drawn into these ideals that people worship over, but Wallace is trying to make it clear that even in your default setting, you can worship yourself in a better way resulting in a better you, making better choices. 

By using the phrase “default setting” and relating it to the idea of choices and being socially conscious, Wallace is able to first demonstrate the idea of simple life choices but then further the understanding using the same essence, explaining the notion behind how everyone’s default setting will be different. He takes it deeper allowing the realization that choices may not be so easy. He goes from the implication of thinking about situations from different viewpoints to putting yourself in someone else’s shoes (everyday choices). Everyone has their own default setting and may be socially conscious, but it may not be the best implication of your choices. Know your consciousness. Know you have choices beyond that. Now all that has to be done is tap into that “default setting” and change it for the better.
