Honest question to fans of DFW, what is the value of the speech "This is Water"?

I understand (correct me if I'm wrong) that his main theme in the works is how addiction and popular media is distracting people; so we don't have to confront our problems and can just live everyday with "default" quests given to us by the Life RPG game designers.

But I don't understand his concept of being well-adjusted, empathetic and thinking for yourself. Isn't that living in the default mode? Forgive me for saying so, but aren't these the exact platitudes said in college commencements and when you boil down to the actionable steps of "liberal arts" and being "well-adjusted", they are: {travel to an exotic location and then come home, take a philosophy class where you discuss some abstract ideas, do meditation and yoga during lunch...}

I think he talks about real freedom and sacrifices so you can avoid living an empty life on the rat race. But seems like the tone he writes of living this way is kinda of painful and not a picnic either: you have to be constantly consciously "resisting" the default mode, how be different than the rate race people, try to meditate like to be like water. How is this Water Living any better or turns out more meaningful? Thanks in advance for your insights!