Transcription of the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address Essay

Transcription of the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address - Essay Example This clearly indicates that almost all thoughts are self-centered, which gets in the way of appropriate thinking as per the author’s argument. All points that the author presents make sense. Wallace is correct when he maintains that thinking should be acquiring the capacity to exercise some sense of control with respect to what people think. This can also be said to be being conscious of what to pay attention to as well as choosing how to construct meaning from life’s experiences. These claims are correct. In addition, people should interpret the real meaning of education as a way of guiding people on how to live consciously and how to avoid being a slave to the default setting. For instance, Wallace states that the default setting makes people think that daily activities such as daily traffic and lengthy queues at supermarket checkouts are frustrating. If a person views this situation as still frustrating to the other people in the supermarket queues, there would be a sense of appropriate thinking. I can confirm that traffic and supermarket queues are the most frustrating experiences for me. I think people should alter their modes of thinking. This is because even the other person could be thinking that I am in their way. In fact, maybe â€Å"the Hummer that just cut me off is maybe being driven by a father whose little child is hurt or sick in the seat next to him, and he's trying to get this kid to the hospital, and he's in a bigger, more legitimate hurry than I am: it is actually I who am in HIS way†.