This is water

Three years before he took his own life, the brilliant writer David Foster Wallace gave one of the most memorable and impactful commencement speeches of all time. In it, he talks about the importance of being aware of the way you construct meaning from experience, being aware of the reality you usually take for granted, being aware of your "water".

Wallace's death added him to the "tortured genius" archetype, as he was all too aware of what this world is really like and the question of "what is a meaningful life?" plagued him more than most. In "This Is Water" he gives an answer which you can take or leave, but you can be sure it's an answer that was painstakingly considered.

If you ever have 20 minutes, listening to this is one of the best way you could possibly spend it.