Selfish

When I read David Foster Wallace's commencement speech, he talked of something I had been thinking about recently. He talks of people being "arrogant" and self-absorbed and has "little critical awareness". He also talks about how to think about others and their situations and what they may be dealing with. I often assume that everyone is like me. Bored. Tired. Stressed. But I don't have a clue what is actually going on in their lives, or what they are dealing with. I don't know if they are hurt, or angry, or sad. I often forget about what other people are going through because I am so self-centered. I needs were my number one concern. David Foster Wallace's writes "The world as you experience it is there in front of YOU or behind YOU, to the left or right of YOU, on YOUR TV or YOUR monitor. And so on. Other people's thoughts and feelings have to be communicated to you somehow, but your own are so immediate, urgent, real." Is it by nature that we, as human beings, are and should be selfish? I think everyone has needs. Everyone wants to be happy and to survive in this cold world, so they become selfish, and greedy. But when I read "This is Water," it made me think differently about people. It changed my perspective in society in how I view others. I know I won't be perfect, but I want to try to see the good in others and understand their daily struggles instead of assuming the worst in everyone.