Saturday, August 29, 2015
Argument on This is Water
David F. Wallace writes, "The only thing that's capital-T True is that
you get to decide how you're going to try to see it. You get to consciously
decide what has meaning and what doesn't." I absolutely agree with him on this, however I refuse to believe that we are all "default-set" to be self-centered. All along through history you see how the world changes because many people joined together for a common cause. Civil Rights Movement, for example, was a movement not only active through African Americans or other minorities. Many white people helped joined the cause and to that I ask, "What was the benefit to them, the "superior race" at the time?" Wallace also writes of how we routinely live our lives "dead". We worry about our own success, health, shelter, etc. How then can we say that doctors who go out to countries in need of medical attention and knowledge are living a dead, self-centered life? Food drives, donations, and programs that help the rest of the nation who struggle with poverty, hunger, natural disasters, and more are usually a group of volunteers. They don't get anything themselves in return, but they choose to help others anyway. It’s these self-less, caring people that do not allow me to
agree with Wallace’s speech.
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i agree with you but i have to point out that, I believe Wallace was saying that our default setting was when we are young that we only view ourselves as the center of the world and that we don't show consideration towards others until we get higher in age like most of those people that you mentioned doctors, food drives, and people that go on mission trips are mostly older people who have "taught themselves how to think". and as for the feeling dead part i feel hes just saying that we to often get stuck in the mundane day to day things and that can cause us to feel like we are running a rat race.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your message because most people are self-centered, maybe not all the time but at least sometimes, you choose to pick your well-being over another persons. I believe that Wallace meant everyone has that default setting in them, but you can learn and choose to not be stuck in that setting. The selfless people that spend their lives helping others have probably learned to think this way. Those people of the world see that although they get nothing in return for their help, it gives them pleasure to see others happy. I suppose in return for their selfless work they get the luxury of not feeling “dead” in their everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteI disagree as well. Everyone, including you and I, is guilty of being self centered. By instinct we put ourselves before others. We only do things if we expect to receive something in return. Whether consciously or unconsciously we weigh out whether it's worth it. You may argue that volunteers are not held to such a standard. But if you ask any volunteer why they do such a selfless act, spending their free time and energy doing such a noble action; you are sure to hear something along the lines of "it makes ME feel good." They in fact do get something out of volunteering. Take away that rewarding feeling and will they still be so willing to help. To people like this the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone weights out the effort to do so. Aside from our "default setting" there is good in people. People do push to overcome there in state to be self centered. Though unconsciously we have our self at mind we do experience symphony for others as we would ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI disagree as well. Everyone, including you and I, is guilty of being self centered. By instinct we put ourselves before others. We only do things if we expect to receive something in return. Whether consciously or unconsciously we weigh out whether it's worth it. You may argue that volunteers are not held to such a standard. But if you ask any volunteer why they do such a selfless act, spending their free time and energy doing such a noble action; you are sure to hear something along the lines of "it makes ME feel good." They in fact do get something out of volunteering. Take away that rewarding feeling and will they still be so willing to help. To people like this the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone weights out the effort to do so. Aside from our "default setting" there is good in people. People do push to overcome there in state to be self centered. Though unconsciously we have our self at mind we do experience symphony for others as we would ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI disagree to a point. I believe that our default setting is to be self-centered, because that is how we are made to survive. In the early times of humans you had to be self-centered or you would die, and now that is not the entire reason, but it is a huge part of it. Thinking of ourselves is how we stay alive and I definitely think that that has changed and adapted over time based on what we need from the world and other people. But, yes, there are people who do those selfless things asking for nothing in return. However, they may not realize it but they are doing it to make themselves feel like they are doing something in the world; making a difference. So, you have to work on it and realize when you're being self-centered and whether or not being self-centered is in the best interest of you and the people around you. Sometimes you just have to think selfishly in order to fulfill the basic need we all have; to survive.
ReplyDeleteI disagree, people are very much self-centered. Sure, people are not inherently bad, as far as I know, but, if someone is living their life without truly thinking at a higher intellectual level and making an effort to think about others then, yes, they will most likely go to a dark and self-centered place in their mind. I, for one, catch myself in times of frustration judging and thinking horrible self centered thoughts toward others around me whom, are mostly, thinking similar thoughts about me and the others around them. Although, I appreciate and respect your positive outlook towards others. Not everyone can be a cynic.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your post, because a lot of us humans are self centered. We want the best for ourselves and will deliberately put ourselves before others. Many of us wouldn't volunteer for anything if we aren't getting anything beneficial out of it. We aren't bad people for being self-centered it's just how we progress as a race from the earliest time man existed look how far we progressed, it's survival of the fittest and the fittest tend to be the most self centered that is how we as a race survive. Although we have different positions on these speeches, i respect and applaud your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI disagree because everyone, no matter what they do, puts themselves first. Even if it’s not in bad intention they still will always put themselves first. In this world you kind of have to because no one else will. Being self-centered may not necessarily be a bad thing but it can be. It may not be all the time, just to a certain point to where you know you are stable. Which makes being preoccupied with oneself and one’s affairs necessary in order to do so. Like you said people like doctors go on mission trips to help people in need but this would not have been possible if they had not focused on themselves and their education to be able to reach their position first.
ReplyDeleteI disagree to a certain extent. Wallace's outlook is speculation of the general population now and throughout history. In addition, Wallace is not claiming that all people are and will be forever selfish, rather that the "default setting" of people is self-centered. This default setting is natural, we are raised to take care of ourselves first, follow our dreams, and make our own paths. Further back into history those that didn't take care of themselves did not survive. In addition to this,the difference between being selfish and being self-centered must be brought to attention. I believe that people of the self-centered quality choose to prioritize themselves with a focus on self-improvement; Whereas the selfish type focus on themselves because they specifically don't have interest in the bettering of others.
ReplyDeleteI agree to what you're saying. That the people who put the well-being of others before their own dissuades the belief that we, how Wallace puts it "routinely live our lives "dead"." Only caring about are own personal gain and getting a head in society. I have to say that even though that it is a basic function as humans to fend for yourself, it is also a basic function to feel sympathy toward other people, and help out other people when they are at their low. Example being when 9/11 occurred countries across the world reached out to offer assistance. Hell even the Kenyan Masai tribes donated 14 cows to the U.S after the event of 9/11. People who don't even know what a skyscraper is found in their hearts to lend aid in any way they could. So when Wallace says that people do through life "dead" I find it hard to believe.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you disagreeing with Wallace. I think that yes, we all can be "self-centered", and sometimes it is important to put yourself before others in certain situations. But from my personal experiences, I have seen too many people put others before even thinking about themselves which has lead me to disagree with Wallace. Like I said earlier, there are definitely situations in which you have to put yourself first. There are also situations in which you need to put others before yourself. I know plenty of parents who would literally and figuratively take a bullet for their child, because the parent sees the child as more important than themselves in that instant. To expand on this thought, I think the older you get, the more likely you are to put others' needs before your own, and the more you are willing to risk for others. (Currently, for example, I probably wouldn't risk my life for anyone - save for maybe one person - but I find myself in increasingly difficult situations where I'm beginning to think about everyone else before I think about me). Due to my personal experiences, I'm lead to disagree with Wallace.
ReplyDelete