On YouTube
By blaming the society, don't we hide our own evils? ||Acharya Prashant, on 'The Fountainhead'(2019)
Scriptures and Saints
222 views
3 years ago
Maya
Prakrti
The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand
Howard Roark
Collectivism
Conditioning
Responsibility
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the tendency of individuals to blame society and external authorities for their lack of freedom and creativity. He argues that society is not a separate entity but is composed of individuals like ourselves. Blaming professors or institutions for being traditional or orthodox is often a way to avoid personal responsibility. He explains that both the 'antiquated' professor and the 'modern' student are often equally clinging to the past—one through textbooks and the other through personal memories and conditioning. The human brain is biologically designed to seek security in past patterns, making this a common human struggle rather than a conflict between the individual and society. He further critiques the use of collective language, such as 'we' and 'our', and the demand for external encouragement. He traces this behavior back to evolutionary survival instincts where living in a tribe was necessary for physical safety, especially for women in a primitive jungle environment. However, he points out that while our external environment has evolved through technology and innovation, our internal state remains prehistoric. He uses the metaphor of a house to describe modern man: the exterior is built with advanced technology, but the interior remains a 'roaring jungle' of primitive instincts and attachments. True freedom requires recognizing these inner tendencies and taking responsibility for one's own voice rather than waiting for societal permission.