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Before you sympathize with the physically disabled, or acid attack victims|| Acharya Prashant (2019)
4.8K views
5 years ago
Sympathy
Superiority
Comparison
Physical Disability
Body-centricity
Normalcy
Arrogance
Acid Attack Victims
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the question of sympathizing with children born with physical disabilities by stating that this sympathy is rooted in a hidden arrogance about one's own condition. When one views a physical infirmity—such as being born with one eye, a brain disorder, or a genetic defect—as a great misfortune, it is because one feels privileged for being "normal." This feeling of being advantaged is what leads to labeling others as disadvantaged or unfortunate. The speaker emphasizes that this is a comparative act, where one first establishes their own superiority before feeling sympathy for another. The speaker challenges this assumed superiority by asking what one has achieved with their supposedly complete and healthy body. For instance, while a child might be born with one arm, what has the person with two arms accomplished? Similarly, if a baby has a low IQ, what great intelligence has the person with a higher IQ displayed in their life? This line of questioning extends to victims of acid attacks. The sympathy shown towards them reveals an obsession with the physical face and body. Acharya Prashant points out that people are not concerned when a person's mind is corrupted daily by societal influences, but they are deeply troubled when a physical face is distorted. This demonstrates a profound body-centricity and lustfulness, where a person, especially a woman, is reduced to her physical appearance. The speaker concludes that the problem lies not with the person who has a disability, but with the one who feels sympathy, as they are burdened by their own expectations and standards of normalcy and beauty. He suggests that instead of making the disabled person feel inferior, one should recognize that nothing of true value has been lost.