Michael,

Yes DFW is exactly the type of person we would want to help propel us into the future, especially considering his popularity with counter-culture groups that had more... constructive intentions I'd say. I unfortunately missed him by about a decade in my undergraduate experience at Illinois State, a Literature professor I had my senior year had been promoted to his old position and had us read only his books for the course (still just a few years removed from his suicide in '08); my favorite was "This is Water," although they're all gold.

To your points in general, I think this tendency to become increasingly socialized into our own internal mental world via external forces of all varieties (including individual physicalities such as genetics and biology as external here) to the exclusion of that which our intersubjective reality is built upon (i.e., the water) is probably the most significant contribution to the divides we see both destroying our society and propelling us to a new future (i.e., 5th joint-point). That space, that water, is spiritual, secular, physical, mental, etc., it is me, it is you, it is nothing and it is everything. Increasing our awareness of this space (and in turn decreasing attentional investment in egoic lenses) is something many of us on this thread have discussed (e.g., Rob Scott's Fundamental Shift) and I indeed will be referencing in my presentation on 11/09.

If we are to be fish acting on the premise that we are not in, deeply interconnected with, and ultimately identical to the water, then we will always fail, despite our best knowledge and intention. We must first come from our shared and individualized ground of being, the water itself, if we are to act from a place of true wisdom and proceed as an uninterrupted flow of existence through whatever necessary destructions and creations are ominously lurking in the near-future.

Also, your lyrics are beautiful and absolutely echo our sentiments here! "The hands of life will always be there," the water will always be there. It is so true and such a calming and compassionate sentiment about the core of the insecurities innate to our relative, transient, and ultimately impermanent human existence. I've spread similar messages to clients, colleagues, and friends alike, be it relating to the space of our awareness always being there or simply the way we must cut ourselves some slack if we're going to make it through this inherently difficult but worthwhile life. I've enjoyed saying "I believe in human beings who have the courage to be human" and "Don't take life seriously, take it sincerely."

I appreciate your correspondence.

Regards,

Nicholas G. Lattanzio, Psy.D.

On Sat, Oct 31, 2020 at 4:12 PM Joseph Michalski <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

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Hi Nic et al. Thanks, Nic. I hadn't heard this talk. What a powerful address by David Foster Wallace, directly relevant to our ToK discussions. Of course, I'm already 'biased' toward Wallace b/c of his masterpiece Infinite Jest (and his year of birth!). Just a few points, though, that struck me as especially salient...

1) He talks about us being at the center of the universe, which is ground zero that I referred to the other day in terms of measuring social distance (i.e., the fact that we're so unavoidably intimate with ourselves, with "zero distance").

2) That we often get so lost in our self-centeredness that we do not pay attention to the beauty (my word) or reality of what's right in front of us, but also missing out in learning how "to exercise some control over how and what we think."

3) Most important, in my view, is his observation that it's much easier for us to lapse into our default settings of our internal conversations that privilege the "I am the center of the world" perspective rather than consider the many alternative narratives & possibilities. That's the type of thinking that I unwittingly somehow "knew" in choosing to become an ethnographer of the human condition using a sociological lens. It always intrigued me that there was this whole "exterior" social world to the individual that surely must be exercising "force" or "influence" just as surely as gravity must be adversely affecting my ability to dunk a basketball.

4) And, most powerfully, Wallace concludes: "And the real world will not discourage you from operating on your default settings because the so-called real world of men and money and power hums merrily along on the fuel of fear and anger and frustration and craving and the worship of self. Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom all to be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the center of all creation... The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline and being able truly to care about other people."

And, perhaps somewhat ironically I'd submit, the benefits will be far greater to one's own self, should we have the courage to be truly aware and genuinely care. That's sometimes hard for people to see -- and do. So, I've tried to convey some of this in a song I'd written some time ago, but then decided to publish publicly on my channel a few months back. It's called "The Hands of Life" and the lyrics appear in the description of the video. No, I won't be appearing on "The Voice" ever, but i just decided long ago that it'd be fun to write songs that I wish were playing on the radio, preferably by really talented musicians! Here's the link, if interested in committing a few minutes ("don't forget to hit 'like' and subscribe"...LOL!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXzBLSrCyfA

Hands of Life

“The Hands of Life”© by J. H. Michalski Ever thought of living somewhere far away Where the rules would not apply and you could live your way? A place of sol...

www.youtube.com

Dr. Joseph H. Michalski

Professor

King’s University College at Western University

266 Epworth Avenue, DL-201

London, Ontario, Canada N6A 2M3

Tel: (519) 433-3491

Email: [log in to unmask]

______________________

eⁱ^π + 1 = 0

From: tree of knowledge system discussion <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Nicholas Lattanzio <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2020 3:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: TOK Great David Foster Wallace Excerpt

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of JMU. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Though I'd share a fantastic speech of one of my larger influences in life, with attention-holding illustrations of course. Would love to dialogue about the highly relevant take on our society.

https://youtu.be/OsAd4HGJS4o

Regards,

Nicholas G. Lattanzio, Psy.D.

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