"This Is Water" is a commencement speech delivered by David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College in 2005. In it, Wallace emphasizes the importance of awareness and conscious choice in daily life, urging graduates to recognize the automatic patterns of thought that can lead to a mundane existence. Wallace illustrates how individuals often default to self-centered thinking, which can create a sense of isolation and frustration. He encourages listeners to practice empathy and mindfulness, suggesting that true freedom comes from the ability to choose how to perceive and respond to the world around them.