Acharya Prashant explains that until you reach a state where honor and insult become completely irrelevant matters for you, insult should undoubtedly sting. He questions who are those who are not affected by insult. He states that it is either the completely liberated ones, like Shri Krishna or Buddha, who are beyond insult, or it is stones and animals. A stone can be kicked, but its self-respect is not hurt. Similarly, animals, if kicked, will move away to protect their bodies. They feel bad because their body is hurt, but there is no feeling of glory or consciousness within them that gets wounded. If you show them food again, they will return, not remembering the insult or any abusive words. The right to be completely indifferent to insult belongs either to the liberated ones like Shri Krishna and Buddha or to animals and stones. For people in our current state, experiencing insult is necessary. Our potential is immense; we are potentially vast and infinite. If someone with such potential is living a small life, that fact in itself is an insult and should sting. Even if no one says anything, life itself is insulting you if you are not living up to your highest potential. In this context, an insult can be a blessing and a friend if it makes you aware of the reality of your life. When you feel insulted, you should find the reason within yourself. Ask yourself why you are so small, weak, or powerless that someone could make you feel low in your own eyes. The flaw is within you, which gives others the opportunity to hurt you. Once you identify your flaw, you should work to remove it and even thank the person who insulted you for showing you the mirror. If you think you feel bad for no reason, that is not true; there is always a reason. There is some weak spot within you where the external blow lands. The speaker uses an analogy: when the wind blows, only some leaves fall from the tree. We should not blame the wind, which is external and beyond our control, but look at the weakness in the leaves that fell. We must make ourselves strong enough to withstand any wind. Therefore, an insult can be your friend if you use it to find the cause and improve yourself. The person who insults you with the intention of helping you awaken and become better is your friend. As saints like Kabir Saheb have said, one should keep their critic close. A true friend is your biggest critic, not someone who stands by you even in your wrongdoings. When you start seeing such critics as your friends, your perspective on honor and insult will change. Your focus will shift from what the other person did to how you can use the situation for your own betterment and progress in life.
