Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the relationship between emotions and language. The speaker explains that words can come from observation or they can be mere "mind stuff." He confirms that the ideas and concepts one holds are, in essence, just words. However, something within us gives these words more meaning than they inherently possess, which is why they trigger emotional responses. The mind receives stimuli not only from external senses but also from its internal database, which is memory. For instance, one might get angry when called a "hippo," and later get angry again just by remembering the incident. The first stimulus is external, while the second is internal, from memory. The meaning of the word itself is also derived from past experiences stored in memory. Acharya Prashant elaborates on the concept of "meaning." In a spiritual context, meaning equates to interest or stake. A meaningful life is one that fulfills one's deepest interest. He connects this directly to the ego, explaining that a word, as a stimulus, informs the ego whether it is gaining or losing. For example, the word "hippo" might signify a loss of social acceptance, causing the already fearful ego to feel diminished. All words carry existential connotations for the ego, and this connotation is their meaning. The ego is so desperate that nothing can exist for it without having a meaning attached. Everything in one's personal universe must have a meaning, or it is discarded. Language, therefore, constantly reminds the ego of things that can either belittle or inflate it, pointing to its inherent hollowness and its potential for fulfillment. If the existential connotation is removed from words, they lose their power to affect us.