Here are 5 examples of how David Foster Wallace builds his ethos in the speech "This is Water":
1. He acknowledges his own past arrogance and tendency to see himself as the center of the universe (p. 3). This builds ethos by showing his willingness to be self-reflective and admit flaws.
2. He shares personal anecdotes from his life experience, like struggling with depression (p. 4), to establish credibility from lived experience.
3. He cites commencement speeches from the past that had an impact on him (p. 5), positioning himself as continuing a tradition and drawing on the ethos of those who came before.
4. He stresses the importance of empathy and