Acharya Prashant addresses the question of overcoming emotional dependency and loneliness by first clarifying that there are not several types of dependencies, such as material, financial, physical, or emotional. All these are superficial classifications of one fundamental dependency. This dependency stems from a deep-seated, fundamental sense of incompleteness of the 'I'. We are born feeling that something is not quite right about us, a belief that is carried unconsciously from birth. This sense of imperfection is what drives most people to do whatever they do in their lifetimes, such as acquiring knowledge, social certification, relationships, and wealth. The speaker explains that the 'I-tendency' is a raging dissatisfaction against itself, as the 'I' is not convinced that it is alright. The very event of our existence, our birth, makes us feel this way. We are born as a 'botched-up work' that needs rectification. This is evidenced by the fact that a human child requires almost two decades of education and training before they can step out into the world. This proves we are not born alright. This inherent incompleteness manifests as loneliness and dependency. Loneliness is the cry to 'add something to me,' to have something or someone to affix to oneself. Dependency is the state of relying on these external additions for a sense of completeness. The problem of loneliness and dependency is existential; we are lonely because we exist as this incomplete ego. The shallow way to deal with this is through distractions like friends, entertainment, or consumerism. However, the deeper, real solution lies in spiritual inquiry. The speaker invites the questioner to turn to Vedanta and the teachings of spiritual masters. By engaging with them, one develops a taste for a higher pleasure. The perspective shifts from seeking additions to seeking purification and subtraction. Instead of asking who can be added to one's life, the question becomes about who or what is unnecessarily present and needs to be removed. This is the opposite of loneliness; it is a position of immense power and discretion, leading to fulfillment and liberation from the ego.
