This text was very interesting to me, and I really enjoyed it. It gave me a new perspective on how to think for myself and for others. I think with some analysis, this could easily connect to “Eating Jack Hooker’s Cow”.

In “This is Water”, the speaker discusses the phenomenon of choosing what to think. He explains that our default setting is to think about everything as surrounding ourselves. Essentially, our default setting is being self centered, mostly because it is easy, but also because the only way we’ve ever seen things or experienced things was through our own eyes and our own minds and our own bodies and our own worlds. He discusses the education should have taught them awareness and how to think and be attentive of all the others surrounding them, not just themselves. We don’t know what anybody else is going through, so assume they are going through the worst. Think of the most insane scenario you can think of and put that person in it. This will allow you to think of them, instead of just yourself and your needs. The scenario you think up is probably unlikely, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible. I believe that this connects a bit with empathy and sympathy.

I think this could connect to “Eating Jack Hooker’s Cow” by the way that Jack thinks of Donna. He thinks in his default setting. He worries about him and his business and his life and how everyone else, especially Donna, is in HIS way. If he was more aware, more attentive, and tried to choose to think of Donna, I believe he could feel empathy and sympathy for her instead of just hating her for getting in HIS way, when in fact, she wasn’t. Donna wasn’t getting in Jack’s way, she was just trying to build her life and be successful for her children and family’s sake. I believe Donna chooses to think of others, but even while she chooses to think of others, the hate from Jack and Bev and probably many other people (including the people who stole everything from her) drove her to hate others, causing the chain reaction of hatred.