Wallace

The article is about to think with freedom. As a commencement address, Wallace’s speech is shocking at first then becomes very inspiring. I agree with that “the exact same experience can mean two totally different things to two different people…” Because of the difference conditions we grew up, although we are receiving a kind of “standard” education, the way we think differs a lot. One ridiculous experience I have was that through all my middle high and senior high school, we are asked to do some literature comprehension. The comprehension means, in the exam, a sentence of a literature work is picked up from the reading we have on the exam paper, and we were asked to answer to question suck as: what is the author thinking about? Or what might be the reason why the author said this? It was not unusual for me to get a zero on these questions. My answer never matched the point of view of the person who provided the standard answer to these questions. The author didn’t provide any answer, but someone else was telling us that “the author was thinking this way” But how? How could someone say no to my comprehension on a literature without the author say no? We need some attention and awareness and discipline and also to truly care about others when we want to think with freedom, but if there is someone telling us to think in a exact way, I might not be able to follow.

 

I may not be able to understand the young fish and old fish story might very well. By saying “this is water”, does the author mean education? Or it is just a kind of awareness? Well, there is no exact answer, I believe.