Noticing in the New Year: Attention, Kindness, and Everyday Life
Details
On Noticing - First Meetup!
This Is Water (David Foster Wallace) + Commencement Speech on Kindness (George Saunders)
For our first gathering, we’ll discuss two short commencement speeches that ask a deceptively simple question: What do we owe our attention—to ourselves, to others, and to ordinary moments of life?
We’ll begin with David Foster Wallace’s This Is Water, a brief, powerful reflection on how our “default settings” shape what we notice—and how much freedom we actually have in everyday situations.
We’ll pair it with George Saunders’s Commencement Speech on Kindness, a short, personal essay that looks back on moments of missed kindness and asks what those late realizations can teach us while there’s still time.
No background knowledge required, just openness and curiosity.
### What to expect
- A lightly facilitated, open discussion
- A welcoming, supportive, non-pretentious social dynamic
- No pressure to speak if you’d rather listen
How to Prepare
Please read or watch both speeches in advance (they’re short—about 35 minutes total). Links:
- David Foster Wallace ("This is Water"): Watch here or read here
- George Saunders on kindness: Watch here or read here
### About On Noticing
On Noticing is a discussion group for people who enjoy reading, watching, and thinking together. Each meetup centers on a shared essay, short text, speech, film, or documentary, and explores how attention shapes our experience of the world.
This group is intentionally collaborative. Future meetups may be facilitated by members who want to suggest readings or lead conversations—but participation at any level is always welcome.