Acharya Prashant addresses a question about why today's youth feel lonely despite being surrounded by numerous distractions like mobile phones, the internet, and friends. He explains this paradox using an analogy. He describes his immediate surroundings—a table, a wall, furniture, a lamp, a switchboard, and a curtain—and states that despite having all these things, what he truly needs is water. He equates the distractions available to the youth with these objects, which are plentiful but cannot quench their inner thirst or loneliness. The speaker elaborates that trying to cure loneliness with these distractions is like trying to quench thirst by holding a table, hugging a wall, or wrapping oneself in a curtain. Such actions are futile and only serve to increase the thirst. He points out that the things people use to keep busy are not what they truly need. The problem is not just the presence of these distractions but the choice to engage with them, hoping they will provide fulfillment. This leads to a cycle where a person, disappointed by one worldly object, turns to another, never realizing that the entire world of objects is incapable of satisfying their fundamental need. Acharya Prashant explains that people often get disillusioned with one aspect of the world, only to pin their hopes on another, without ever questioning the nature of the world itself. For example, after realizing a table cannot quench thirst, they might turn to a wall, then a curtain, believing that the next thing will surely work. This cycle of seeking and disappointment continues, consuming one's most valuable asset: time and life. The world's function is to consume your time, and it does so without taking any blame because you are the one who chooses to engage with it. The world doesn't kill you, but it takes your life, and people, instead of seeing this, become its fans and devotees, begging it for something it can never provide.
