You Can Drown In Water

David Foster Wallace (DFW) was absolutely correct when he stated that each of us individually believe we are the center of the universe.  Like the Americans who battled the British oppression, we naturally do what is best for ourselves.  A lot of times, we prioritize our personal needs above others' needs- just as DFW described in his grocery anecdote.  As non-psychic human beings it would take a lot of effort to understand the emotions of someone passing by you in a grocery store.  We can not do this, and because of it- we are unknowingly left with the feeling that we are the only ones with problems in the world.

It takes a lot to get me very mad or upset.  Where Dave was mad at the people in line at the grocery store, I would not have given two thought about the length of the line and patiently waited my turn.  Even if someone had cut in front of me- I still would not have cared because it does not matter in the grand scheme of things.  Now, do I go into the deep situation awareness that Dave decides to go through with the analyzing of why people were doing the things they do?  I do not.

I would like to know what people are thinking when they do the things they do.  If they are following DFW's theory then they think they are the center of the universe.  Thus, the aggressive hummer driving father attempting to save his child simply turns into another fat cat.  If they really are in a desperate situation where there needs truly are greater than my own- then heroes can be born. While reading into other peoples' minds is not necessary by any means- it would certainly be interesting to see how selfish or selfless a person is.

During Dave's speech, people laugh and clap during two different sets of moments.  The first moments are the blatant jokes.  These are when a joke is made or something funny is said and it is understandable to someone who is not actively listening to the speech.  For example, and DFW even confirms this, the various anecdotal stories used to grab attention like the fish and the Eskimos or even the description of the grocery store..

The second form of lauded moments are when the audience can relate to the experiences DFW presents.  A lot of people are intently listening to the generic grocery store adventure because there is more praise given in the moments Dave intended for.  The narrative is easy to follow and easy to relate to.  There is also muted clapping during the parts when it is revealed that we might not be the only one with problems in the universe.  This shows that the audience is understanding/has understood the point, that we are naturally selfish thinkers, made in David Foster Wallace's excellent speech.