Acharya Prashant addresses the issue of crime, specifically rape, by analyzing the different levels of response it elicits. He explains that the most superficial approach is to blame the individual perpetrator. This allows people to feel the problem is solved once the culprit is punished, and they can close the file. A slightly deeper approach is to blame the system, such as the police, judiciary, or civil infrastructure, leading to calls for reforms. The third, even deeper, approach is to blame the culture, societal attitudes, patriarchy, and flawed values inherited through history. However, Acharya Prashant points out that all these three approaches share a common feature: they place the blame on someone or something else—the individual, the system, or the society. This externalization of blame conveniently absolves the person pointing the finger of any personal responsibility and prevents them from looking inward. He argues that this is a way to avoid self-inquiry. By blaming others, people feel relieved and believe things have been set right, which stops them from examining their own role in the matter. He proposes a fourth approach, which is to look at oneself. He questions the tendency to see the criminal as a separate entity, asking, "Is that chap really not me?" He asserts that the criminal is a product of the societal ecosystem and reflects the hidden tendencies within the common person. He gives examples, such as the popularity of movies that glorify criminals, the election of politicians with criminal records, and the hypocrisy of public outrage coexisting with private consumption of related perverse content. The speaker contends that the common person often aspires to be a 'respectable criminal,' like a corrupt official, and that many are simply waiting for a safe opportunity to commit crimes. He concludes that to truly tackle crime, one must move beyond a purely legalistic definition and adopt an internal locus of control, which necessitates honest self-inquiry into one's own consciousness, as that is where crime germinates.
