On YouTube
ट्विटर पर हर आदमी जाँबाज़ सूरमा कैसे बन जाता है? || आचार्य प्रशांत (2020)
13.6K views
5 years ago
Social Media
Online Behavior
Frustration
Ignorance
Upanishads
Arthur Schopenhauer
Meaningful Life
Abuse
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the phenomenon of people who are average or unsuccessful in real life becoming aggressive warriors on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit. He explains that this behavior stems from a lack of passion, capability, and honesty to achieve anything meaningful in their own lives. Consequently, they resort to abusing others online. He describes Twitter as a hub for hatred, ill-will, and abuse, where every user acts like a 'wounded warrior' spewing the poison they have accumulated. To illustrate his point, Acharya Prashant shares a personal anecdote. He had tweeted a quote from the German thinker Arthur Schopenhauer, who spoke of the profound influence the Upanishads had on his life and philosophy. Schopenhauer stated that the Upanishads brought him peace in life and would do so in death. Acharya Prashant added that many great thinkers were inspired by Schopenhauer, who himself was inspired by the Upanishads, a scripture often ignored or disrespected in its land of origin, India. An online user then questioned how he knew Schopenhauer had read the Upanishads, completely overlooking the quote provided in the tweet itself, which exemplifies the ignorance of these online 'warriors'. He elaborates that these individuals, who may lack any real authority, seek to impose their views on the world via the internet because they have nothing better to do. This behavior is a sign of the poverty and destitution in their lives. If a person has a meaningful purpose, they will either have no time for social media or will use it constructively. He mentions how some people even create videos to organize dislike campaigns against others, which is a futile endeavor. Acharya Prashant advises that instead of engaging in abuse and spreading misinformation, one should invest time in education. To comment on complex topics like a pandemic, one needs a basic understanding of science, statistics, and epidemiology, which cannot be acquired from social media. He suggests communicating with facts and numbers rather than just language, as language can be easily twisted for abuse. He concludes that people lead dark lives, which is why their intentions are also dark. Filling one's life with a meaningful purpose is the way to either transcend the need for social media or to use it properly.