CharlsieLee Plummer College English 102 Summary Essay January 19, 2017 Unconscious Thinking
Do college students know how to problem solve? With this in mind a popular topic in the liberal arts study, is the idealistic proper way for an individual to think. When discussing the idealistic way a person should think is not the way the human mind is programmed to think, but when one decides to change the way of thinking and go their own course. In his speech,“Kenyon’s Commencement Speech” David Wallace discusses the way people look at the world and the negativity that beings. Wallace believes with altering this look on life the different view could improve the American lifestyle. In order to be successful in life, people have to be able to think beyond themselves and develop empathy, use a positive mind set and acquire tenacity, and realine properties and values. People today go through life in a zombie-life state of mind; meaning people don’t look deeper into the way they look at the world. Wallace points out, people aren’t changing their way of looking at life, to no longer be looking at life in a common or generic way of perceiving occurrences through the day. Wallace states, “How to keep from going through your comfortable, prosperous, respectable adult life dead, unconscious, a slave to your head and to your natural default setting of being uniquely, completely, imperially alone day in and day out” (Wallace 203). For example, a car cuts a driver off, instead of instantly thinking jerk and wishing for them to get a ticket; think what if that driver is rushing to the hospital because their dad is about to die. When it comes to the topic of thinking, most of us will readily agree that people go through life in a zombie state of mind. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of if thinking deeper is the right way to think. Whereas some are convinced that it can make life more enjoyable, others maintain that it is thinking too much. As a everyday person, Wallace believes that taking a moment to look deeper than staying in a zombie state of thinking would benefit life choices. The expectation of people of the idea had for the idea of thinking deeper is assumed to be difficult, however, it is not. Wallace indicates, looking below the surface isn’t as challenging as one might expect. Wallace said, “Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think” (Wallace 202). He talks about taking control over the way one thinks and allowing them to change their outlook in life. One controversial issue has been who knows really the defining way to think. Liberal arts majors argue there is a way to think and not just of oneself. However, society contends what makes them right in their way of thinking. Others even maintain this idea of who’d right and not right. Wallace really makes the point if people want to know how to think, it is about taking control of one’s mind and the choice of the way one thinks. Making a decision on what one values in life can make a big impact on that individual's lifestyle and happiness. Idolizing the wrong things in life can influence the way people live their life. He talks about prioritizing the wrong things people and the potential it has to never feel fulfilled. Wallace states, “If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly” (Wallace 207). Wallace is trying to convey the message that if people choose things rather than feeling they will never feel complete, they are always going to need the newest thing or the best. It has become common today to dismiss the true important things in life and focus on the unimportant things like stuff. Society should focus on the things that can improve their lives and that makes them fill complete not items or things that can be bought. Thinking beyond yourself, developing empathy, and prioritizing can impact people's lives and set people on the track to be successful. In the speech, “Kenyon Commencement Speech” David Wallace explains the different ways to look at life and perceive the things one sees in a positive way. He shows how everything is be there to please ourselves. However, he does explain that this is how we are wired, in other words our default thinking. Wallace explains to break the cycle and think more in a positive way and be less selfish it has to be conscious decision by the person to make the different. It is now up to the individuals to make the decision to think differently than basic.
Wallace, David. "Kenyon’s Commencement Speech" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 198-210. Print