Acharya Prashant explains that when an individual feels internally hollow and hungry, they view the entire universe merely as a resource for exploitation. This drive to exploit extends to people, animals, and nature, where one's self-worth becomes tied to the ability to consume, plunder, and hoard. He notes that because humans value themselves based on power—whether intellectual, financial, or social—they fail to respect beings that lack the capacity to exploit others. Consequently, animals are often viewed as lesser beings because they lack the human intellect and rationale required for exploitation. This mindset leads to a lack of respect for the natural world, as man only values that which possesses the power to dominate. Ultimately, the speaker suggests that by treating animals as fit for exploitation due to their lack of human rationality, man is actually valuing the very limitations that define his own ego.
