The Tempest IOC 2

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This is Water

In his essay, "This is Water", David Foster Wallace discusses the human outlook towards everyday life and how this impacts overall happiness. He begins by discussing the routine of everyday life and the tedious tasks that come with work and responsibility in adult life. He argues that our perception of this routine is something that has a direct connection to our freedom. He suggests that by becoming more conscious of these surrondings we are able to become more free and to open up our perception of the world. This concept is grounded in his discussion of the everyday chores that an adult must take responsibility for. This includes waking up to go to work, commuting and working, as well as other necessities such as grocery shopping which Wallace focused on greatly. The many minor details that are such an integral part of grocery shopping, such as the damaged carts and the long check out lines, become part of that irritating reality. However Wallace argues that our outlook towards and understanding of these details and parts of everyday routine is what frees us as humans. By looking at these with a different, more open-minded perception, we can free ourselves from the typical reality that has become almost subconscious. 

Literature plays its own role in relation to this concept, where it can add greatly to our social lives. Through the understandings that we gain from literature, we will be able to shape a more well-rounded view of the world. We are exposed to characters, settings, experiences and events which develops our views. This forms a sense of empathy for the reader. Emotional intelligence is defined by one’s ability to recognize emotions and differentiate between them. This is fostered by our ability to retain information on different human interactions and relationships. While we can attain this from real life situations, literature can give us exposure to a wider range of these instances, and explain them in great detail. Through the development of characters, as well as the changes that they go through, we can learn about the essential parts of human thought. These details will allow us to have a greater understand of emotions within a larger context, in turn expanding our emotional intelligence. 

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