This Isn't Water

          The first thing I noticed about this piece is how well all of the points flowed into one another (much like water.) Every word and paragraph seemed to be so precisely chosen and executed and it made the piece so much more pleasant to read. I actually found myself wanting to know what the author was going to say next. The piece was written in a way that was incredibly interesting and ensured that every point was clearly stated and thoroughly explained.
          As for the content, the points made in this piece were extremely "deep," for lack of a better word. The idea of being hardwired to be self-centered is definitely something not a lot of people think about. And to help put this idea into perspective, the author used a near perfect example of the super market. It pointed out how we often get irritated when others are around because "they are in our way," but from their points of view, "we are in their way." The author then proposed that the solution to this natural self-centered way of thinking is by being conscious of others, their points of view, and your own surroundings. This was eye-opening for me as it created a vivid sense of humanity and helps us realize that others go through the same struggles we do. And although I've thought of other people's perspectives before, there's something about the way the author explained it that made the idea so much more clear.
          Something I was also waiting for while reading this piece was how the author was going to take the idea of water and relate it to the idea of self-centered thinking. He ended up making the example of fish being aware that they are in water is like humans being aware of their surroundings. The example that at first seemed to be so out of place then made sense. The story became about free-thinking and being compassionate to other people by understanding that others have struggles too.