Acharya Prashant explains that if someone physically pushes you in a shopping mall, you would immediately recognize it as a violation. He then questions the hypocrisy of this, asking why the mall itself, which is also a form of violation, doesn't matter to you. The person pushing you is only hitting your body, but the mall is affecting you on a deeper level. You might happily allow yourself to be violated by the mall, provided your shallow honor is safeguarded. For example, you might object to a security check but not to the influence of the shops themselves. The speaker argues that people believe they are in the mall by their own free will and personal choice, thinking that shopkeepers are not forcing them to buy anything. However, he questions whether one has truly gone there on their own or has been subconsciously dragged there. He contrasts this subtle, invisible dragging with an explicit, physical one, like being pulled by ropes, which would be immediately recognized as a violation. The shopping mall of the world constantly drags you, yet you never complain. He illustrates this with the story of a young woman who shared her past traumas, including abuse and divorce. While narrating her tear-soaked story, she also spoke of her current boyfriend. The speaker observed that this current boyfriend was as much, or even a bigger, violator than the figures from her past, but she was not focused on that. We do not see the great violation happening to us right now; instead, we engage with things that remind us of the past. Acharya Prashant concludes with a rule of thumb: if the present were what it should be, you couldn't be so interested in the past. The fact that the past haunts you so much proves that trouble is brewing in the present. Whenever the past bothers you, you should immediately know that some danger is lurking in the present. The proof that something is terrible right now is your very interest in the past.
