David Foster Wallace

This commencement address to  Kenyon College by David Foster wallace is a very enlightening and inspiring piece. I enjoyed this speech because it was unlike the cliche graduation address. Wallace did not attempt to preach to his audience at all in any way shape or form during this speech. Instead, David's main goal was to shed some light on an emerging and promising group of young students. In some ways, his address to Kenyon College was somewhat ironic considering he was at one point telling a group of obviously very smart and studious adults not to worship their education. When i reached this point in his address I was baffled. I read Fosters statement "[w]orship  your intellect, being seen as smart--you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out" (Wallace) and was left with a feeling of guilt. I have gone my whole life worshipping one thing and one thing only, my education, so naturally after reading this line I was not quite sure exactly what to think. But when I paused to think about this statement, I saw how in effect it is very true. Worshipping your education cannot lead to fulfillment in life. Wallace's speech was very simple in context but very deep in meaning. He was telling his audience to stop living their selfish lives, and just to pause for a moment and take it what is actually around them. This is where David's initial fish story reference begins to tie in. The fish can be swimming their whole lives in the ocean, but when asked what water is will they know what to answer? It is hard to think that people can go their whole life without actually registering what is around them.