The blind force of consumerism || Acharya Prashant (2022)

Acharya Prashant

‍♂️ Want to meet Acharya Prashant?  Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/enquir...    Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books?  Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Video Information:  AIIMS, Nagpur, 08.03.2022, Nagpur, India   Context:  ~ How to set priorities?  ~ How to be free?  ~ What is freedom?  ~ How to bring woman's revolution?  ~ How to bring about a Total Women's revolution?   Music Credits: Milind Date

Transcript

00:00Good evening, sir. So, my question is very general and it's not about like women and

00:10men. It's just on the basis of my observation. So, my questions stand out for the introverts

00:16in the house. Like, what I had observed in my friend circle at college and basically

00:24in the society, like the introvert is always pulled towards being the extrovert in nature.

00:30Like, what we had seen in the videos, books and the podcasts, like how to make friends,

00:36how to win people heart and how to be an extrovert. So, why the extrovertedness given, like considered

00:44so much superior and the introvertedness is not considered appreciable in the society.

00:52So, is there any specific thing regarding like the extroverts would be only going to be successful

00:58and more superior than the introverts, whether if the person is very comfortable at his own

01:03comfort zone and being an introvert. There is a very clear reason why the society favours

01:11extroversion rather than introversion. It's a very, very specific reason and this is a trend

01:18only over the last two centuries. It's not as if mankind has always been like this.

01:24I'll tell you, introversion is dangerous for capitalist consumerism

01:32because if you are with yourself most of the times and you start enjoying your own company

01:39most of the times, why will you spend a lot of money in the market?

01:43And if you are to be forced to spend a lot of money in the market,

01:48then it is necessary that introversion be shown down and shamed.

01:57Who is an extrovert? Generally, extroverts are the one who have very little tendency to look at

02:05themselves. When you look at yourself, you realise what is it that you really want.

02:17Then you cannot be a blind consumer of the society's markets.

02:25When you are an extrovert, what is it that happens? I'm with five people, I'm hanging out

02:29with them, talking to them and because I'm not looking at myself, my gaze is always directed

02:36towards the outside. Therefore, I will feel a certain incompleteness without ever knowing

02:44what is the incompleteness that I feel and since I'm always looking outwards, so I'll go to all

02:51the things that appear on the outside and try to use them to fill the incompleteness within.

02:59This is extroversion. That incompleteness, that void that we all feel is a real void

03:10and it demands real treatment. But its treatment is an inward glance.

03:19You continue looking at this void that we all feel within and that is the only cure you can

03:27provide it. However, when you have a great tendency to never look at yourself but keep

03:33looking at others, then what is it that this void makes you do?

03:41This void says, I exist and my solution lies in the world's markets. You become a good consumer.

03:50You become the stuff that markets love. All the producers in the world want people who have money

03:57and who are blind. In Hindi we call it, aag ke andhe, gaat ke poore. A lot of money with no

04:06discretion. That's the kind of person that the markets love. Are you getting it?

04:14Are you getting it? Five of you walk into a showroom and if the salesman is smart, he will

04:23quickly point out which of you is the most stupid one and it is that person that the salesman will

04:34attack. Because this person can be made a fool of and this person can be used to sell your goods.

04:43And if an introvert walks into a showroom with four of his friends and what is the introvert

04:52doing? He is silent. He is inward. The salesman will show no interest in this introvert person.

05:00I am exaggerating but do get the idea. The salesman will show very little interest in the

05:09introvert because the introvert is very difficult to fool or rather comparatively difficult to fool.

05:18That's why the entire media is full of characters that glorify extroversion.

05:25Look at all the so-called heroes in your movies. Where do you find introverts?

05:31The more noisy the person is, the more fit he is to be a hero.

05:38The more stupid a person is, the more successful he will be as a heroic character.

05:46All the loafers, they are super hits as heroes. I am talking of both the actor and the character.

05:56That's what they want you to buy into. They are not showing you just a movie. They are showing you

06:03a way of life. They are selling you a philosophy and it's a very toxic philosophy. Be very mindful.

06:13Be very mindful.

06:19It is not just rupees 300 that they want from you. They don't want you to buy just

06:28the movie ticket. They are not satisfied with rupees 300. They want your entire life.

06:36This is one. It is a complete nexus.

06:39The movie is not separate from the superstore or the shopping mall.

06:48What is it that your movies glorify? Don't you pay attention? Reckless consumption.

06:55Especially since the last 20 years. And it's no coincidence

06:59that the Indian economy got liberalized in 1991 and the very flavor of your movies changed.

07:06The very flavor of all media, including television, changed.

07:11The hero is more often an NRI now with a lot of money. When was the last time you had a poor man

07:21playing the hero? When was the last time you had an ordinary looking woman playing the heroine?

07:27They are selling a life philosophy to you and it's a very dangerous philosophy. It will destroy you.

07:57you

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