In "This is Water" students are instructed to change their default setting (only thinking about themselves) by altering their perspective. They are told that to enjoy life, they need to think of events from many different perspectives. This is not for the benefit of others, David Foster Wallace proves that doing this will cause you to perceive a world that is less harsh. By being considerate of others, you're really helping yourself gain a more nuanced perspective on life. At the end of the piece we know there are two categories of people: those who have changed their default setting and those who have not. This thinking can be applied to The Great Gatsby. Nick starts out the book saying he doesn't judge anyone. While this is certainly not true (the reader can infer from his tone how he feels about various characters) the idea that he tries not to judge others means he is making an attempt to see things from their point of view. He says that "reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope." This means he hopes that people are better than they seem, just as Wallace suggests hoping the guy who cut you off in traffic had a good reason. The two would understand each other.

Jordan Baker is in the other category, she is a bad driver but she doesn't fault herself. She only hopes to never run into someone as careless as herself, she hates those people. This example shows that she can't experience events from the perspective of others as Nick can. Because of the contrasting philosophies of these two characters, I suspect Nick's story will end much happier than Jordan's will.

Allow me to play you out...

(a song about a couple who have material wealth, but don't love each other)