David Foster Wallace on Reading, Consumerism and American Politics

[@johannalane5449]

It's difficult to realize a man like this is no longer alive. I'm so grateful to have him in text and videos.

[@Muddlelin]

Ditto

[@watermelonman3000]

Ciao, baby!

[@domsjuk]

I'm just blown away by his humbleness and absolute sharpness and clarity of mind. What an inspiration and what a loss,

[@beatricedamian3863]

A loss???

[@jg0943]

A true prophet. This is one of my favorite discussions, he nails our culture and it just keeps getting more superficial every year

[@nixpix19]

Indeed, I was amazed to read how he satirized zoom calls in Infinite Jest years before it became a ubiquitous thing.

[@Jennifer-ls5ke]

I feel so sad David left us so soon... He was a very deep thinker,, and we seem to lack those thinkers more as we go further to the cliff's edge...

[@philkariuki1109]

they exist...just not in the mainstream, that has been entirely corrupted

[@keithbertschin1213]

It is sad. We still have those thinkers, people like Sam Harris but we can never have enough.

[@deehoo40]

Growing increasingly relevant by the year.

[@hammervonjammer1279]

Luminary. This world was never met for one as beautiful as you. RIP, Brother.

[@renzo6490]

I live alone. I do not go to work or to the gym or out to cafes or classes. Days go by when I don't speak face to face with anyone. I often ignore the news media. It's just ME in my studio where I draw and paint. Pascal said that all of our miseries derive from our inability to sit quietly in a room. Wordsworth wrote "The world is too much with us.... Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers" Many great artists and thinkers have benefited from periods of isolation. Sometimes voluntary. Sometimes as a result of illness or imprisonment. We waste our powers with distractions

[@brianchappell4054]

And, on the other hand, this is kinda fucked up because you are choosing to disengage with others because???? Others from the (distant) past have told you to do so? Distractions lead you to great art? Do you have friends?

[@renzo6490]

@@brianchappell4054 This was written during the COVID lockdown period. My point was that there is an upside to being cut off from daily distractions. I couldn’t go to work. I couldn’t visit the gym. I couldn’t sit at lunch or have coffee at home or out in a public cafe. That sort of thing was felt by many as a terrible deprivation. Not to me. Aside from the fact that I enjoy my solitude and my own company, being somewhat isolated had unexpected benefits . As I said, I paint and I draw. In fact, I love to do it. But, paradoxically, I often resist sitting down to paint or draw. I find a hundred other things to do. But, being confined forced me to focus on my tasks. And my art has improved because of it. Yes, Brian, I do have friends. And even if I didn’t… I’d always have you 😉

[@saullandiof5768]

that may be, but socializing is also key for mental health. I recommend getting some interaction at least a couple times a week, it's not going to cut into your productivity as an artist

[@renzo6490]

@@saullandiof5768 You’re quite right.

[@grokker99]

Pascal is projecting. I can sit alone, i just choose not to just like you choose not to go out and play basketball with friends.

[@zendavis3501]

This young man was clairvoyant. He was way ahead of his time. He epitomizes intelligence and much needed introspection. I really wished he would've triumphed over his demons. R.I.H David. You are loved, appreciated and missed.

[@lindsey-suejustice1189]

Some of the most refreshing information available online. Thank you for liberating me with some personal/universal truths.

[@Rob_132]

When depressed it’s like there is rust on the gears in your mind. You can crank through to some degree if you push very hard, but sometimes you pause the cranking and the rust keeps you from starting again.

[@rasjeff1]

One of the greatest mind of the late 90's and early 2000's, right there. It's so frightening to think that all that he's saying is becoming worse with every year that passes. People want everything fast and simple, in the most reductive way possible, that instead of going forwards, we are going backwards. They want a 30 seconds video of cats, than an actual piece of art that can say something. Is scary and heartbreaking to see what human beings have to offer nowadays.

[@WesleyNiman]

Humans have a lot more to offer than you might think.. just remember. You're a human, and so was David. There's still good people in the world. The world is not doomed. So get out there and do your part to make it a better place.

[@jackslifechangingopinions9545]

Don't you dare bash the 30 second videos of cats

[@SuperGuanine]

life-changing🐫🤐

[@tboss8157]

I’m a gentleman and a scholar and I won’t stand for cat video slander

[@tanyatomasch9208]

Reading IJ for the first time and I can't believe what I've jumped in to. I feel like "where am I and what is this and can I please never leave."

[@malcolmbryant]

What I have always loved about this man is how he will pause to search for the correct phrase or even which facet of an issue to go down, not despite but probably because he is so articulate; his palette is so large and he was so thoughtful.

[@zarathustra1430]

I empathize with this guy. Our desires become our masters if we do not master our desires.

[@BlueGnome42]

Wow. You steal that quote?

[@zarathustra1430]

@BlueGnome42 no, but I'm sure someone else has said it before me

[@michaeldraney5692]

This brilliant quote sums up DFW: “That was very close to the truth, but I don’t think it’s gonna make much sense.”

[@emilynowak9956]

such a sensitive soul and a deep thinker that was not afraid to plunge into the depths of difficult truths. i love how humble and kind he is explaining his thoughts to this interviewer. doesnt surprise me at all that he was a pisces ;)

[@anushkadesh]

"People hate people, not freedom."

[@annewelch2134]

I just admire the care he takes in thinking things through, if only more people could speak with such honest truth seeking and be willing to see through themselves and the dominant cultures so many take for granted, and have become mesmerised into numb automatic egodriven lives

[@rjt201]

His take on the fragmentation of the entertainment industry is so true in how it has evolved today. Instead of the few musical artist superstars, though they're still around, you have hundreds of thousands of people putting material on Spotify all the time, some with thousands of followers and some with even more. The same can go for groups of people who make startup companies, brand themselves, sell a product they believe in. The fragmentation of the entertainment industry is a consequence of easy access to social media, website design and easy access to networking.

[@DarkAngelEU]

Same with young talent in Europe. They get exploited for entertainment, most of them get forgotten over a year, some stick around with a niche audience for a couple of years, but most of them never get the success of being adored in a mainstream fashion. I don't want to be mean, but simply not everyone has what it takes to become a great artist, yet we live with this myth that everyone can be an artist and in the end your hard work will pay off, even though it's so obvious that's just a lie to keep reeling in the young ones and make a profit on their dreams. It's great in one way we stimulate talent, individuality, creativity, what I don't like is the exploitation of those things that make people unique for the audience to go through hours of commercials which only profits the broadcasting channel. Spotify does the same by promoting boring, mediocre music. They rake the profits while the artists barely get paid. It's disgusting.

[@ahmedam77]

Where has this man been? I'm happy I found him

[@Mexa8253]

Passed, unfortunately..

[@ahmedam77]

@@Mexa8253 read that unfortunately

[@fionaarcher4612]

David

[@longonthomas]

He was hoping that the system could work.......There is so much insight into the human condition in his words.He recognizes the flaws but ...who was listening? And the system is now worse than ever. Sad,he was so disappointed with what he saw.

[@outpizzathehut6056]

I love you bravo

[@JoeKing69]

He's right, the world is more often changed by silent men engaged in subtle things.

[@takaonies]

The danger of corrupting humanities that David warned Americans of back in 2003 still remains in America and in Japan, my country. I'm always feeling disappointed when I see people around me go into easy, childish amusements. I suppose you will be shocked at how many Japanese people visited Disney Land last year: 14.6 million. The number of visitors per capita is outstandingly higher than that of any other country where Disney Land advances. That is one example telling so many Japanese people expect that Disney Land surely provides us with a package of entertainment that is never boring and always amusing. I wander from the subject, but the point is that Japan is now totally commercialized and most of us look for easy way to entertain ourselves with spending. That is why we need to take time daily for reading a book in a quiet room or talking among friends and family, sharing personal problems with close friends, or any civilized action needed for becoming a better man and woman.

[@graybow2255]

The Frankfurt School already knew this would happen.

[@schmetterling4477]

Humanism recognizes that most people are stupid and will stay stupid for the rest of their lives. It's not about educating those who can not be educated. It's about making society work despite them being there.

[@DarkAngelEU]

I guess that's why Pokémon is so popular in Japan as well (easy entertainment, lots of accessories), the Hikikomori, but I do find it weird that dating in Japan is so awkward too. I've heard of marriage proposals that basically exist out of sending your resume, including your income, to potential partners, girls for hire (not sex, just guys who never met girls and want to get less awkward). It's so weird, almost like the Japanese are afraid to interact in a casual manner.

[@Excalibur13]

I was talking to someone else about this David Foster Wallace interview, and he made an interesting point that DFW makes a distinction between America and Europe still being different as consumerists back in 2003. These days though, in 2023, it seems as if the globe has been fully converted into this mindset. The internet and TV was able to fundamentally change and market cultures in only 20 years.

[@darrenwendroff3441]

David Foster Wallace was a genius. But people fetishize him. What he's saying here was prophetic, but there are people who talk about the same thing today who are minimized, trivialized or ostracized. We each also have the ability to say and realize what he says. We project our own ability and responsibility to understand things on to people like Wallace and call them prophets.

[@ericolson117]

3:18 I wonder all the time what he would think of today.

[@legotrillermoth]

imagine showing him the TikTok algorithm

[@KeithTheKing67]

Imagine showing the TikTok world him too

[@wiley-harris-anderson]

He's probably rolling in his grave

[@DarkAngelEU]

TikTok should be banned for harming public health and sanity.

[@TheGrades90]

I'm sure he would hate to be idolized or "looked to" in this way, but god what I wouldn't give to hear some insight from him during this time in our country (COVID)

[@mikiallen7733]

First thing taught to me in an econ class is SIZE matters i.e. economies of scale and unfortunately not being taught that economy is part of a whole , but now cash flow language is taking everything including morals in to the deepest dust bin ever created !

[@UploadN0ob]

of course his observations are correct, and even prophetic, but its so obvious that he's making these issues his problem. the collective downfall of his nation (and the world) has become his responsibility. he is incredibly articulate and sound of mind, but from watching this its so obvious he is in distress and in great personal pain. david's worldview feels so radical to the point where it is seemingly taking such a serious toll on his wellbeing. this makes me so sad

[@pauldecoster]

He took his own life in the end

[@manuchaudhary9728]

Why David hurts me is because he identified those root problem , but not get the way to counter them

[@vesnastihovic7014]

♥

[@kate9341]

Какая киса. Хочется его обнимать и комфортить.

[@nika-zq9ph]

Он мертв

[@kate9341]

@@nika-zq9ph Да, я знаю. Но какое это имеет значение? Даже если бы он был жив, вряд ли у меня была бы возможность воплотить свою мечту в жизнь

[@dylanserventi691]

quite amazing that the guy called the decentralisation of media and was complaining that the internet was making everything things speed up in 2003, seems either highly highly astute or oracle esque lol

[@laurasalo6160]

Yes! Except he feared censorship from the religious Right and it is instead coming from the religious Left.

[@cartergallagher933]

Does anyone else recognize The Pale King here?

[@soli4012]

5:52

[@ChrisOrillia]

What did he mean by, "'--niche' ...that English word"?

[@alliA09]

He meant something not broadly known, a shared interest among a relatively small group of people. A niche sub-genre of interest for example is robot vampires, or Croatian baking recipes or something.

[@mikebasketball11]

If you’re asking for the definition of the word ‘Niche’ then the comment above is all you need ❤ If you’re asking for why he paused, pronounced it in an unconventional way, and commented on its modern etymology while shaking his head, then I have my own guess: Disclaimer, this is just from me googling the word: the word apparently comes from French ‘to nest’. Somewhat ironic, perhaps, that to ‘nest’ - in nature outside of humans, it is to make your home small and protective and often not in materialistic consumptive excess - which is the antithesis of American business culture of ‘finding a niche’ in a market to typically exploit for maximal profit.

[@nledaig]

Sometimes trying to work out a cryptic crossword or a chess problem my mind gets tired and I give up for a while. Sometimes when I'm composing a bit of music I reach an impasse and leave it (At times I just ditch it even if I think part of it is ok) Sometimes I give up on a book because I do not care about the characters/ideas. Sometimes I reach the end but think I got neither true stimulation or entertainment and chuck it to the charity shop. I'm not sure that isn't me just being bored. We are probably bored by different things. I am VERY uninterested in conversations about tv programmes. I get bored by that.

[@RiccardoMoretti]

Why, David, why did you leave so soon ? Why did you leave us alone ?

[@schmetterling4477]

Seriously? You are leaning on a man who couldn't even help himself?

[@michaelmessina8951]

@@schmetterling4477 You're a jerk. People lean on intelligence and perception. Who cares about longevity. Age without wisdom negates you whole existence.

[@schmetterling4477]

@@michaelmessina8951 There was no wisdom there, only desperation.

[@michaelmessina8951]

@@schmetterling4477 says the man born with a perfect mind subject to no adversity. A perfect physical specimen. Who never became a better man through life experience from age 13 till now.

[@schmetterling4477]

@@michaelmessina8951Says the man who knows depression first hand. Of course I remember how I felt when I was 13 and how I talked. I was like a little version of David Foster Wallace. Unlike him, however, I grew up. You should try the same.

[@wickway]

Good points, just too bad the system cannot be reformed to have people become good citizens. The logical conclusion of this is that everyone would be an informed citizen and that would require a highly developed educational system, which would need some kind of wealth to support it. The wealth would have to be spread equally in some way and the education and knowledge would have to be spread likewise. Unless humanity finds zero point energy or something, they will need a slave class to support this. Those people may live abroad, or be prisoners or just low wage domestic workers. The system would also be designed by those with power. What is taught in general would lead to the production of people that will serve the elite. It would be almost impossible to create a system otherwise. And the system will need to be homogeneous and uncreative because it needs to produce citizens that operate within that massive structure. And systems desire stagnation and only become more efficient in completing their main goal, which is stability. They would have to teach a set number of things that create a "good" citizen who can choose the "correct" politician who is not "corrupt." The corruption at best (and very unlikely) may be that people just become soulless robots who constantly criticize each other over pesky moral inconsistencies in order to have the "best" most "uncorrupt" system. More likely is that they become incredibly hypocritical and self righteous. They ignore certain groups that don't share the goals of the whole and constantly blame groups for not behaving according to the ideals of the system. The systems people create are all like this and that's why nothing works. The only way to create a truly creative human is to have no system except the will to survive. A modern educated person is only able to operate within that system that educated him/her. Outside of the system, they are a fool and would regret all the knowledge of their "education." Entertainment is used to brainwash us, so we never even have any peace. The system is evil and soulless in modernity. Truly no escape. Not buying anything apparently would help the Federal Reserve's goals now, so you can't even rebel good.

[@Finley2011PS3]

I agree that significant wealth would be required first to create a system that then can spread wealth, resources and intellect in a way that allows people to act as good citizens as part of an equitable society. However, I don’t think that the assumption that this equitable society would inevitably lead to an even more corrupt system in order to support it, is necessarily true. I would point to the concept you mentioned about systems maintaining their stability, to suggest an alternative outcome. The stability of a system doesn’t necessarily have to be maintained by force, and it definitely shouldn’t be if the system is supposed to be equitable and guided by meaning instead of mindless gratification. I think ideally, this kind of system should continue to support itself by its very nature. This may be inconceivable given the societies we’ve lived in across the span of human life and all of the practical issues we face right now in even maintaining any human life in the next century. However, I don’t think we should rule out the possibility of ever getting to such a place. We just don’t know what technological and societal advances we will have in the coming decades. I believe humans have a pretty remarkable way of overcoming seemingly insurmountable problems.

[@wickway]

@@Finley2011PS3 Thanks for your input. The problem with all systems and solutions to me is that they are run by humans, and humans just never fit a system. They will always mess it up out of self interest. It is a very Western view stemming from the "Enlightenment" to believe in this utopian state that is reached through "progress" and I think that whole narrative has been used more to corrupt people's soul than to have any actual "progress". There are many directions I could go with this. But one I will choose is that the scope of knowledge will be limited to a "scientific" and knowledge of what can be understood by everyone at the lowest common denominator. Most knowledge that is accepted and used by the "advanced" economies strip at inconvenient facts and so called superstitions. When ideas about UFOs or other strange events are brought up they quickly disappear and are also used more for entertainment because those ideas do not fit the narrative of human "progress" and that humanity has control. To me religion is as full of crap as science which is also operated by humans. I do not see that one results in an overall better experience for humans. One is more material and focuses on control and the other cedes most control to a higher power but is generally worse off materially. Of course these exist on a spectrum. But this system would be heavily focused on control and materialism and would in my view block most alternative theories that could even have quite a bit of evidence and real tangible effects on people's lives. And also you must think there would be quite a few detractors of this system like myself. And always those people are either shunned or given a post by society in order to control them. In addition, we only need to look back to the end of the USSR to see that the world never became the vision of peace and democracy people envisioned. And the West has continued to spread these values in a hypocritical and destructive manner. Plus there is no real objective view of who is right and who is wrong in all of this. So how could any system cross these varying cultures without destroying knowledge. I don't believe it will be replaced with a higher knowledge.

[@Finley2011PS3]

@@wickway Thanks for your response. I don’t think all systems and solutions will be run by humans in the near future. AI has already taken over the management of a myriad of systems and I think one can safely assume it will continue to take over more systems in the future. To what extent AI will be able to do this and where this will take us as species, I have no idea. I think we would be more ‘objective’ with the help of AI though, seeing as it has the potential to to use and objectively analyse much more information than humans are capable of. Whether or not this will be a good thing, I don’t know. I guess the foundation of my point is, we just can’t predict what will happen and there are many possibilities rather than just one inevitability. I think there is a reason for hope.

[@wickway]

@@Finley2011PS3 People will be very against that and question the objectivity of AI. I think many people in the west are in an ivory tower and bubble. Mostly I feel my points have been missed due to this fact. Muslims will not be interested in this for sure. Uneducated people will not deal with AI or believe it. And you would have to wonder who is more educated: the person who cedes control to AI or the one that resists. I understand one can't know the result precisely but one can have some understanding of people and people are disorganized morons. And it surprises me how educated people can completely ignore human behavior in favor of some organized system that would work if everyone would just follow the blueprint. And that makes me question the intelligence of so called educated people.

[@Finley2011PS3]

@@wickway I just don’t think coming to generalising conclusions such as ‘people are disorganised morons’ is helpful at all, let alone accurate. Yes, we aren’t perfect nor ever will be. We also aren’t rational. The same goes for AI. and yes AI, will encounter resistance (from myself too). Also, yes many in the west are living in an Ivory tower (not sure how that’s relevant to what you’re saying though). However, even with these facts, I really don’t think you can say the things you’re saying with any certainty at all. In regards to human behaviour, you can’t just ‘understand’ it. We are way too complex and irrational. My point isn’t about following a blueprint that leads to a perfect society, that obviously won’t work (just look at what happened to the soviet union..). It’s really just that we aren’t doomed for failure and that having hope for humanity isn’t completely unreasonable.

[@OrnamentValleyFilms]

so so so ahead of his time. what hes saying here is only MORE poignat now.

[@SA-ff9uc]

Made it 8 minutes in and decided to watch videos of Pamela Anderson instead.

[@WesleyNiman]

Cool

[@naren4624]

your loss

[@christopherdouglas512]

It was too much for you wasn’t little buddy🤗

[@christopherdouglas512]

Why didn’t you like it? Why couldn’t you pay attention to it?

[@christopherdouglas512]

Is it because what he’s saying about our country makes it a little more difficult for you to be a hillbilly but fucker waving the American flag in the air? you fucking retard😎 don’t worry no one’s going to force you to read a book or give up your guns👌🏻

[@DHU11]

A man who was uncomfortable with his own level of intelligence. His self-loathing feels evident. I feel like he would’ve hated being called a genius -as anybody with an ounce of humility should - but he absolutely was. I think DFW could’ve excelled at literally anything he applied himself to. Be it rocket science, neurosurgery, trigonometry. Whatever. It’s a tragedy that he removed himself from the world. What I wouldn’t give to hear a DFW analysis of current contemporary American politics + the social climate. RIP DFW!

[@johnsuplicki]

I know there's been some confusion about his politics but how can you say this man ever had any right-leaning tendencies? Because he occasionally extolled Midwest virtues and basic Christian ethics and grayed up the black-and-white issue of abortion? You know what, fine. But measure that against his consistent anti-consumerism. Measure that against what he calls citizenship, a concept which if you extend it starts us down the road to direct democracy. Now you know who was a huge proponent of direct democracy and a hyper-informed and educated citizenry? Karl Marx!!! Wallace is essential to the left because he first addresses the underlying causes and systems and philosophies that constantly thwart real human fellowship. Here he is explicitly saying that American anti-intellectualism is directly responsible for corporate influence in elections. Guy was definitely a Republican though.

[@kevinreily2529]

Why are you so threatened by somebody who’s not a left-wing slave? It’s funny how in western countries anybody who is not considered left-wing, doesn’t have a right to any other opinion/belief. I find that very strange. You have to think like me or there’s something wrong with you and you’re dangerous. So glad I don’t live in the US anymore. The left will not tolerate anyone who is not from the left. There goes freedom, there goes debates, what a strange ideal.

[@eamonholley]

What would have said about the post-truth Trump era? It sounds like he saw it coming.

[@loganwarner176]

society of the spectacle

[@grimrider3807]

@@loganwarner176 I’ve never heard that phrase before, but I love it

[@DarkAngelEU]

It's in the interview. People vote on commercials, not actual politicians.

[@sixstringer98]

His takes on the entertainment industry are great. It isnt bad as a whole, but in modern Western culture, it has become bloated and obsessed with clout. Dont worry about the perks of being an entertainer, just go where people are and entertain them

[@sunshinesunny5298]

RIP

[@outofbreath40]

The cheaper the fuel, the more it drives the economy. The more fuel cost, the more it drives down the economy. If you can fix that problem, without oppressing people; God Bless you.

[@qstunrr]

outofbreath40 Tesla, but we need more help

[@renzo6490]

Maybe it's the economy that drives US !

[@apes4days254]

This guy would've loved Kierkegaard, if he didn't read him.

[@kate9341]

I think he did

[@renzo6490]

Civics class

[@papasmamas1]

I have a reaaaally hard time reading fiction texts, just cant. Ive been interested in psychology since kid, Ive read thousands of Freud texts, many other psychoanalitic texts, etc. I enjoy Lynch films, but when its about fictional books I just cant, I keep hearing how great the books if this man are, but when I read the plots of their books just doesnt interest me, I know Im missing something good, but just cant.

[@oui2611]

6:15 trump and biden

[@milhousevanhouten3796]

Kinda reminds me of Peter Thiel

[@duuuad2350]

I often wonder whether he read Baudrillard or not.

[@DarkAngelEU]

He probably did, considering he refers to some old wive's tales as myth.

[@ianottaway]

sucks to be right.

[@axiomic]

I wish he had lived long enough to discover and speak with Jordan Peterson.

[@faiaazkamal]

Oh God this comment ruined my day

[@jacobpitts6846]

Worst take I've ever seen in my entire life hands down

[@schmetterling4477]

How would meeting a drug addicted pseudo-intellectual have helped him?

[@briantyson7744]

@@schmetterling4477 You are referring to Jordan Peterson. Right? Because David is much superior to that jack booted nonce.

[@kamalpreetsingh1686]

Worse comment , just read something dear

[@craighorton3502]

Pitch your appeal very very low.