Fault

Universe. The universe is believed to be at least 10 billion light years in diameter and contains a vast number of galaxies; it has been expanding since its creation in the Big Bang about 13 billion years ago.

1.     I’m not the center of the universe.

David Foster Wallace, in the speech “This is Water,” emphasizes the importance of being alert, active, and sharp amongst one’s surroundings. From examples about grocery shopping to traffic jams, Foster underlines the idea that without seeing the world in different perspectives, an individual is oblivious to other people. Other’s situations, other’s lives, other’s feelings… There is another person in the world that sees what you are 100 percent sure about differently. Each and every one of us should be able to admit that neither our point of views not our opinions are not the center of the universe.  That’s the truth.

Default.  To default is to revert automatically to (a preselected option).

2.     I live life by default.

Wake up. School. Sleep. Repeat. I do the same thing everyday. Am I really living each day like it my last? Or am I living in my default setting? I’ve always done what I was told.  I’ve followed all the guidelines so far. However, as I read the speech and heard Wallace’s voice, I realized that I WANTED to be unique. But I wasn’t. I was just like everyone else. I did what everyone else did. I rarely gave my TRUE opinion intentionally because I knew that it would be deemed useless. Instead, I just agreed with everyone. I did everything by the book. I lived today like I did yesterday. That's the truth. 

Sacrifice. To sacrifice is to give up (something important or valued) for the sake of other considerations.

3.     I have to sacrifice to gain.

“You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work for it” said Lionel Messi. The soccer player. He sacrificed to get where he is today. “The real kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able to care about other people and to sacrifice for them and over and over…” (237). I believe that this quote is a representation of the idea that if freedom is happiness, then happiness requires sacrifice. Those sacrifices will you take you forward. That's the truth.