Acharya Prashant addresses a question from a man who feels no attachment to his wife, stays with her due to social pressure, fears divorce, and desires respect from her but only receives disrespect. The man also claims to have a deep interest in spirituality. Acharya Prashant points out that the man's situation is very common. He states that most people are with their spouses for social reasons and fear divorce. He questions why these terms, such as the amount of respect to be exchanged, were not settled before the marriage, likening such a relationship to a business deal where every clause is meticulously negotiated. He explains that when a relationship is not based on love, it becomes a transactional one. He challenges the man's fantasy of receiving respect, asking if he truly imagined his wife would worship him like a sage. The speaker asserts that men's fantasies about women are not centered on receiving respect. Acharya Prashant explains that a wife sees her husband's most base, animalistic formтАФa side hidden from parents and friends. After witnessing this, it is difficult for her to offer respect. He states that the foundation of most marriages is lust, not respect. Consequently, one might receive affection, service, or security from a wife, but not respect. He suggests that societal traditions, like the wife being younger or touching the husband's feet, are ways to forcibly extract respect. The speaker identifies the core issue as self-ignorance. He tells the questioner that he entered the marriage in a state of unconsciousness and is now considering divorce in the same state. The solution is not divorce but to address the root problem of self-ignorance through a serious pursuit of spirituality. As the man transforms, his wife will inevitably be affected and will also have to change. This will transform their relationship from an animalistic one to one between two human beings.
