Value Statements Paper

Value Statements Paper

In David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, he explains that the one thing that he is completely sure of is that people are naturally wired from birth to believe that they are the center of the universe. He says that the only way to break free from this default-setting is to consciously decide how you are going to see the world and what has meaning to you. This article directly relates to Dr. Browstein’s lecture on the three ways of stating values because it talks about how people must make an effort to decide to see more than just their own selfish needs, just like people must make a conscious effort to state their values as personal preferences. If we are self-centered, we are much more likely to state our values as facts or demands because these two approaches let us get what we want. They use trickery and the threat of punishment to make the other person give us our way. Personal preference value statements on the other hand allow us to see others before ourselves. Even though we might not get our way, it shows respect and a willingness to compromise. Wallace states in the article: “The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.” I do not think this could be accomplished stating values in any way but as personal preferences. This is the key to relationships and the key to breaking free of the default-setting Wallace warns about.

Similar Essays