We Are Fish, By David Foster Wallace

We are fish. Not literally, of course, but in relation to David Foster Wallace’s amusing yet profound quote, we are metaphorically fish. We, the younger generations of the world, spend our days contently swimming along in the water that surrounds us doing whatever fish activities we wish to do, all the while unconsciously maintaining the impression that we understand all there is to know about the world. However, the unfortunate reality is that a majority of us remain entirely oblivious to our surroundings, blinded by our unwavering focuses on the more salient events in our lives. Glittery, dazzling objects and evanescent beauties are much more likely to capture our attentions than the immutable atmosphere to which we belong. Consequently, a great deal of us never stop to consider the key elements in our
Every student who has ever taken a science class has heard the famed anecdote of how Isaac Newton discovered gravity when watching an apple fall from a tree. When we hear this story now, we find it peculiar that someone “discovered” a force that has existed since the beginning of time. How did no one ever realize the astounding force of gravity? How did it take Newton himself such a long time to discover it? Alas, we are all merely fish in an ocean we never acknowledge or appreciate, in an ocean we altogether ignore. Note, however, the fact that the older fish in Wallace’s quote inquired about the quality of the water to the two younger fish. Indeed, one who has spent a substantial amount of time marinating in the same waters ultimately reaches a precipice at which the dazzling items that once appeared to hold a magical, captivating twinkle no longer retain their glossy luster. At such a point, one truly begins to value the genuine nature of the world. Water finally earns its well-deserved recognition, and the world takes on a more defined