"This is Water" and our Default Settings

In this episode of Mindful Leader, host Dennis Shaw explores the human tendency towards self-centeredness through the lens of David Foster Wallace's famous "This is Water" commencement speech.

Drawing on Wallace's metaphor of two fish unaware they're swimming in water, Dennis discusses our default human setting: seeing ourselves as the absolute center of the universe. The podcast challenges listeners to become aware of this innate perspective and intentionally choose to see beyond our own immediate experience.

Dennis weaves together insights from theologians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Richard Rohr to illustrate how personal transformation requires "unlearning" our ego-driven perspectives. Mirroring Wallace, Dennis emphasizes that we have a daily choice: remain trapped in our self-centered default mode or actively cultivate empathy, connection, and a broader understanding of our interconnectedness. Using examples ranging from marathon training to global perspectives, Dennis argues that mindfulness is about recognizing we are active participants in life, not just passive recipients replying on our default, self-absorbed, hard-wired default settings.  

The podcast concludes with a practical challenge: as you go about your daily routine, ask yourself what choices you're making in mundane moments. Are you challenging your default settings? Are you choosing to be "light" and "salt" in the world? The message is hopeful, suggesting that by becoming aware of our natural self-centeredness, we can choose to see the "vast ocean of possibilities" that exists beyond our immediate perception.

Dennis email is HERE.  

"This is Water" -- 2005 Kenyon College Commencement Speech.