Curiosity and honest questioning do not oppose love; they deepen understanding. Blind obedience creates dullness, while genuine inquiry keeps the mind alive and engaged. True questioning is not self-defense but a sincere search for clarity. Most people remain psychologically hypnotized by fear, entertainment, and ego, yet a small conscious voice within always seeks truth. Real change begins when one chooses love and self-realization over fear and self-preservation.
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Questioner: So first of all, I'd like to thank you. So over the past few years, I have inculcated a habit of being a little more critical and more curious about what is being taught to me, whether that's by my parents, the society, our teachers, even the government. But what I've also noticed is, while doing so, I've also become a little more cynical. Is there room for both to coexist at the same time? Can I be curious and critical and also be more open to the world, their views, and having a little bit of love in my life?
Acharya Prashant: No, this too is a form of conditioning, the thought that being critical does not sit well with love. The thought that inquiry, questioning, investigation, indicate antagonism or violence. They don't. In fact, they indicate an openness towards engagement. So genuine criticism, inquiry, go very well with openness and love.
In fact, I hate it when I speak to my audiences and all I see are obedient and blank faces. I know for sure that the thing I'm addressing, the inner one I'm talking to, will not so easily accept and acknowledge what I'm saying. So how come it is not displaying its resistance? That resistance, even if it comes in the form of a sharp counter-question, is far better than a silent and dead nod of approval.
