Acharya Prashant explains that one feels hurt by a taunt only when one believes there is some truth to it. He uses an analogy: if a woman named Sushila is called 'blue,' she won't feel bad because she is certain she is not blue. However, if she is called a fool, it hurts because she identifies with the name 'Sushila' and might harbor a doubt about her own intelligence. The pain of a taunt does not come from the other person's lie, but from the exposure of a truth that one was trying to hide. You feel hurt only when you know, or at least suspect, that there is some truth in what is being said. The speaker gives a personal example: if someone criticizes his Russian, he would be amused because he knows he doesn't speak it. But if his Sanskrit is criticized, and he knows it's a weak point, it would hurt because a truth has been revealed. A taunt is not hurtful because the taunter lied, but because they exposed a truth you had concealed. The hurt is the revelation of a hidden truth. The solution is to not have anything to hide. Even your weaknesses should be openly acknowledged. Weaknesses are natural, but they become a source of guilt when you attach them to your sense of self. The mistake is to make the non-self (the weakness) a part of the self. The more you try to maintain a false, perfect image, the more vulnerable you become to taunts. The taunter is waiting for you to feel guilty about your weakness. The best way to be immune to taunts is to live an open and transparent life. Don't have secrets or things to hide. Be so open that there is nothing for anyone to expose. Stop caring about the image you project to others and let your natural image emerge. Don't make special efforts to appear high or enlightened. When you are what you are, openly, there is nothing to taunt.
