The most obvious, ubiquitous, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.
-- Wallace (N/A paragraph 1)

Importance: With this statement, Wallace articulates the idea that some of the most important pieces of wisdom may be obscured simply by how obvious they are. Thus, with the remainder of his speech, Wallace attempts to imbue truths about love and compassion with renewed urgency and meaning.

Banal platitudes can have life-or-death importance.
-- Wallace (N/A paragraph 1)

Importance: With this statement, Wallace emphasizes the high stakes that he sees as inherent to the struggle for love, compassion, and selflessness. In his speech, Wallace repeatedly articulates the idea that in order to truly live, one must work to remain consistently aware of these truths.

As if a person’s most basic orientation toward the world and the meaning of his experience were somehow automatically hardwired.
-- Wallace (N/A paragraph 1)

Importance: Wallace wishes to challenge the idea that a person's basic beliefs are out of...