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How to have no regrets? || Acharya Prashant, archives (2017)
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3 years ago
Right and Wrong
Intelligence
Relativity
Absolute
Opinions
Society
Consciousness
Regret
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the question of being affected by others' opinions on right and wrong, leading to regret. He explains that there are two distinct layers of rights and wrongs. The first layer is relative and specific to factors like time, place, country, and occasion. These man-made conventions are constantly changing; what is right in one country may be wrong in another, and what was right in the past may be wrong today. This layer of morality is nothing more than the opinions of people, and there is nothing absolute, sacred, or unchanging about it. These rights and wrongs are essentially pragmatic, based on someone's thought, and therefore hold no ultimate worth. The speaker contrasts this with a second, deeper layer of right and wrong that does not originate from society, law, convention, or religion. In this context, the only absolute right is to act from one's own intelligence. Consequently, the only absolute wrong is to not live in your intelligence and to live an unconscious life. He points out that most people are unaware of this second layer and operate solely within the first, mistaking social acceptability or legality for true righteousness. The only real mistake a person can make is to live life according to others, which is the only wrong that should be avoided for one's own sake. He advises that while one should not violate man-made laws to avoid practical consequences, it is crucial to understand with clarity that these rules are not fundamental or sacred. Life must be lived in one's own light and intelligence, as that is the only absolute right. By understanding this distinction and choosing to live by one's own intelligence rather than by the opinions of others, one can avoid the cycle of action and subsequent regret.