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Choice Quote by David Foster Wallace

“But most days, if you're aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently at this fat, dead-eyed, over-made-up lady who just screamed at her kid in the checkout line. Maybe she's not usually like this. Maybe she's been up three straight nights holding the hand of a…” quote by David Foster Wallace
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““But most days, if you're aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently at this fat, dead-eyed, over-made-up lady who just screamed at her kid in the checkout line. Maybe she's not usually like this. Maybe she's been up three straight nights holding the hand of a husband who is dying of bone cancer. Or maybe this very lady is the low-wage clerk at the motor vehicle department, who just yesterday helped your spouse resolve a horrific, infuriating, red-tape problem through some small act of bureaucratic kindness. Of course, none of this is likely, but it's also not impossible. It just depends what you want to consider. If you're automatically sure that you know what reality is, and you are operating on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won't consider possibilities that aren't annoying and miserable. But if you really learn how to pay attention, then you will know there are other options. It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer-hell type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred, on fire with the same force that made the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down. Not that that mystical stuff is necessarily true. The only thing that's capital-T True is that you get to decide how you're gonna try to see it. This, I submit, is the freedom of a real education, of learning how to be well-adjusted. You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn't. You get to decide what to worship.””

David Foster Wallace

About This Quote

Awareness of others' hidden struggles can shift perception from judgment to compassion, revealing multiple possible narratives.

In simple terms: Seeing others' hidden stories changes how we view them.

Key Takeaway

Practice empathy by considering unseen contexts.

Themes

empathy perception compassion humanity mindfulness

Mood

thoughtful empathetic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • customer service
  • conflict resolution
  • personal reflection
  • storytelling

Key Concepts

psychology social cognition ethical philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you balance empathy with realistic judgment?
  • What habits cultivate mindful observation?
A Different Perspective

Assuming hidden struggles may lead to over‑interpretation.

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