The Role of Reasoning in Living One’s Life. Literature Essay (Essay Sample)

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The Role of Reasoning in Living One’s Life.
When I first saw David Foster Wallace’s mind opening video, “This is Water,” I realized it had a message that I strongly related with. It was a special message Wallace delivered to 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College in the US. His commencement was not the usual opening speeches that graduands expect to hear during their graduation ceremony. His oration brings out the argument that people have the choice to think critically and they should do so daily. His analysis involved using emotional and logical impetrations to talk about the relevance of critical thinking. Through his analysis, he christens critical thinkers as conscious and those who don’t think critically as unconscious. “This is Water,” by David Foster Wallace, brings into perspective how reasoning assists people in decisions making and how the choices made affect an individual either positively or negatively.
Wallace starts with a parable where two fish are swimming along, and they happen to come across an older fish. He quickly explains that the fish story merely is about realities that are most difficult to see and talk about. He asserts that liberal arts education is not about how to think, but it rather provides a choice of how to what to think about it. This relates to how often we are unaware and close-minded of how we are caged to concepts and surroundings that shape us – to the water all around us. In contrast, real education ostensibly teaches us to have little awareness about ourselves and our doubts. This is because of a considerable portion of the things we tend to be automatically sure of turns out to be deluded and wrong.