On YouTube
When people dump their emotions on you || Acharya Prashant, Vedanta Mahotsav (2022)
7.7K views
3 years ago
Emotional Dumping
Victimhood
Accepting Help
Pain of Change
Reciprocity
Dignity
Consciousness
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the situation where people vent their emotions but reject any offered solutions, claiming they just want to be heard. He explains that this is a case of someone wanting to vent their emotional garbage. The person displaying such behavior does not actually want to change. He advises that one should listen to such a person only if one's listening opens up their listening in return. If there is such reciprocity, it is alright to listen because it affords an opportunity to speak. However, if a person wants a one-way transaction where they dump their emotions and walk away, they are using the listener as a wastebasket. This does no good to the person venting either, as it only reinforces their sense of victimization. The speaker describes this behavior as a mischief where the person paints themselves as a victim and the entire world as the culprit. By listening without the possibility of offering a solution, one becomes a passive participant in this mischief. He points out the contradiction: if a problem exists, a solution is needed. To say a problem exists but a solution is not needed is nonsensical. It implies that the person has a stake in keeping the problem alive. This is a common tendency where people seek painless help, which is a deception. They get cheated but are relieved they didn't have to pass through pain. Acharya Prashant states that as an adult, one's first priority should be to tackle one's problems by oneself. If one cannot and needs help, one must have the humility to listen and accept it. Accepting help is a tough ask because it requires the helped one to make concessions, change themselves, and adjust to become receptive to help, which can be a painful process. The mark of a spiritual mind is the willingness to take this pain. The dignity of consciousness lies in standing firm against the dictates of the animalistic self. When one conquers oneself, that is when one's face has a dignity, a beauty that comes from the scars and battle marks of this inner struggle.