---
title: "4 Think Means Quotes By David Foster Wallace"
description: "4 Think Means quotes by David Foster Wallace. Plus more from David Foster Wallace and more Think Means sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_139736.jpg"
---

> [Learning how to think" really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/learning-how-to-think-really-means-learning-how-to-exercise-some/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_139736.jpg)

> [“Learning how to think' really means learning how to exercise some control over how &amp; what you think. It means being conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/learning-how-to-think-really-means-learning-how-to-exercise-some-2/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/david-foster-wallace-161_attentiveness_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_619378.jpg)

> [“Learning how to think' really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/learning-how-to-think-really-means-learning-how-to-exercise-some-3/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/david-foster-wallace-161_learning_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_955638.jpg)

> [“I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-have-come-gradually-to-understand-that-the-liberal-arts-clich-about/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_i-have-come-gradually-to-understand-that_1405966.jpg)

## More by David Foster Wallace

> [“I felt more solidly composed, now that I was horizontal. I was impossible to knock down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-felt-more-solidly-composed-now-that-i-was-horizontal-i-was/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“We all have our little solipsistic delusions, ghastly intuitions of utter singularity: that we are the only one in the house who ever fills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/we-all-have-our-little-solipsistic-delusions-ghastly-intuitions-of/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-no-accident-that-in-a-bureaucracy-getting-fired-is-called/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [Footnote: 79) The anchor is gigantic and must weigh a hundred tons, and -- delightfully -- it really is anchor-shaped, i.e. the same shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/footnote-79-the-anchor-is-gigantic-and-must-weigh-a-hundred-tons-and/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“The paradoxical intercourse of audience and celebrity. The suppressed awareness that the whole reason ordinary people found celebrity fascinating was that they were not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-paradoxical-intercourse-of-audience-and-celebrity-the-suppressed/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“I am coming to see that the sensation of the worst nightmares, a sensation that can be felt asleep or awake, is identical to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-am-coming-to-see-that-the-sensation-of-the-worst-nightmares-a/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“He cranks the condo’s AC way down at night and still most mornings wakes up soaked, fetally curled, entombed in that kind of psychic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/he-cranks-the-condo-s-ac-way-down-at-night-and-still-most-mornings/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“To me, at least in retrospect, the really interesting question is why dullness proves to be such a powerful impediment to attention. Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“If you’re subjected to enough great salesmen and salespitches and marketing concepts for long enough—like from your earliest Saturday-morning cartoons, let’s say—it is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/if-you-re-subjected-to-enough-great-salesmen-and-salespitches-and/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“Why is the truth usually not just un- but anti-interesting?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/why-is-the-truth-usually-not-just-un-but-anti-interesting/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“She almost reminds the engineer of certain types in high school whom everyone adored because you sensed it made no difference to them whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/she-almost-reminds-the-engineer-of-certain-types-in-high-school-whom/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [To be, in a word, unborable… It is the key to modern life. If you are immune to boredom, there is literally nothing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-be-in-a-word-unborable-it-is-the-key-to-modern-life-if-you-are/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“It is within your power to experience a crowded, loud, slow, consumer-hell-type situation as not only meaningful but sacred, on fire with the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-is-within-your-power-to-experience-a-crowded-loud-slow-consumer/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“The happy pleasure of the person alone, yes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-happy-pleasure-of-the-person-alone-yes/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [There is such a thing as raw, unalloyed, agendaless kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-is-such-a-thing-as-raw-unalloyed-agendaless-kindness/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/david-foster-wallace/#itemlist",
            "name": "4 Think Means Quotes By David Foster Wallace",
            "numberOfItems": 4,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Learning how to think\" really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot or will not exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "David Foster Wallace"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/learning-how-to-think-really-means-learning-how-to-exercise-some/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_139736.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_139736.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_139736.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Learning how to think\" really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It…” — David Foster Wallace",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "“Learning how to think' really means learning how to exercise some control over how & what you think. It means being conscious & aware enough to choose what you pay attention to & to choose how you construct meaning from experience.”",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "David Foster Wallace"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/learning-how-to-think-really-means-learning-how-to-exercise-some-2/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/david-foster-wallace-161_attentiveness_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_619378.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/david-foster-wallace-161_attentiveness_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_619378.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/david-foster-wallace-161_attentiveness_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_619378.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Learning how to think' really means learning how to exercise some control over how & what you think. It…” — David Foster Wallace",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "“Learning how to think' really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience.”",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "David Foster Wallace"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/learning-how-to-think-really-means-learning-how-to-exercise-some-3/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/david-foster-wallace-161_learning_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_955638.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/david-foster-wallace-161_learning_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_955638.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/david-foster-wallace-161_learning_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_955638.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Learning how to think' really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It…” — David Foster Wallace",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "“I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed.”",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "David Foster Wallace"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-have-come-gradually-to-understand-that-the-liberal-arts-clich-about/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_i-have-come-gradually-to-understand-that_1405966.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_i-have-come-gradually-to-understand-that_1405966.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_i-have-come-gradually-to-understand-that_1405966.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually…” — David Foster Wallace",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/david-foster-wallace/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/david-foster-wallace/",
            "name": "Think Means Quotes by David Foster Wallace",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/david-foster-wallace/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/668/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_learning-how-to-think-really-means-learn_139736.jpg"
            },
            "description": "4 Think Means quotes by David Foster Wallace. Plus more from David Foster Wallace and more Think Means sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/david-foster-wallace/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/david-foster-wallace/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Think Means",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "David Foster Wallace",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-means/david-foster-wallace/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
