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Video Information: Shabdyog session, 12.07.2019, Advait BodhSthal, Greater Noida, India
Context:
Why are we exempted from being emotional at work?
Why do we stick to jobs that harm us?
Why can't we see our own exploitation in our jobs?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .
Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/enquir...
Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books?
Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...
Read 3 handpicked wisdom articles, just for you: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/articl...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video Information: Shabdyog session, 12.07.2019, Advait BodhSthal, Greater Noida, India
Context:
Why are we exempted from being emotional at work?
Why do we stick to jobs that harm us?
Why can't we see our own exploitation in our jobs?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Acharyaji Pranam. Acharyaji, at work, we are expected not to show our emotions, but when
00:17we do that, the emotions keep on piling up inside as well, and then there is always a
00:25risk that they may be expressed vehemently. How should we go on, as a general rule, with
00:42managing the emotions? Is there a rule or something, where to show, where not to show,
00:47how to empty yourself out, something like that?
00:51No, it is not that at work you aren't supposed to display your emotions. At our workplaces,
01:01at our usual workplaces, we are supposed to only conceal the emotions that are not aligned
01:11with the organizational goal. If you display enthusiasm, who is going to forbid you? The
01:24company will be very happy, here is one enthusiastic performer. So, it is not emotions per se
01:38that are discouraged. It is only a particular type of emotion that is inadmissible. And
01:48what is that type of emotion? That which expresses your angst, that which manifests your anxiety,
01:59your suffocation, that you cannot express. All other emotions you can express in a very
02:11emotional way, motivate your team, your boss will be very happy. Is that not so?
02:29Go and express your loyalty and dedication towards the company
02:43in an emotional way, who would object? Or would they? They won't. What's the kind of emotion
02:55that is circumscribed?
03:04Kindly do not display how depressed you are.
03:09Kindly do not express how you desperately want to run away from this organization.
03:15Now, that is not something that you can publicly reveal. So, they'll say,
03:22no, don't be emotional, don't be emotional. You know very well that your work is nonsensical,
03:31worthless, soul-sapping, heart-wrenching, but don't let that out. Keep the secret.
03:42And if by any chance you are unable to contain yourself
03:53and the beans are spilled, then you are labeled as emotionally weak.
04:05So, you ask me how to manage emotions. I'm asking you, where are the emotions coming from?
04:25You have squarely placed the blame and concern upon the emotions.
04:36You do not want to talk at all about the nature of your job. Now, that is something
04:46that you say is not open to debate or discussion. Why? Because the interests of the body and the
04:55ego are associated with the job. So, I don't even want to put it under the scanner.
05:05It's a can of worms. If I raise the issue, there would be only worms all around.
05:18So, rather than discussing the real thing,
05:26the disease, you are asking me how to suppress the symptoms of the disease.
05:35So, if your job is real and your involvement in your job is real,
05:41then all your emotions would be real and would be really welcome. Is that not so?
05:50Is that not so?
05:55On the sports field, a player tries really hard to win and then loses.
06:05You had the Cricket World Cup. Now, you have the Wimbledon tournament going on.
06:11And many a player do break down on the field or on the court. Is that considered a disgrace?
06:19Is that considered a disgrace? Not at all.
06:36If they complete a century or take a beautiful catch or win a set,
06:48players openly express their emotions. Is that a disgrace?
06:54Now, obviously, if you lose a point, you cannot throw your racket at the umpire.
06:58We are not talking of those things.
07:11But we must look into the nature of most of the modern-day jobs.
07:27You are spending your life there, 8 hours, 10 hours a day, the entire week.
07:38Don't you want to know what that job is doing to your interiors?
07:47Is that a small thing?
07:48We profess to be clever. We are proud of our arithmetic.
07:56Do we ever calculate the total cost associated with serving a job?
08:07We get the paycheck and we are quick.
08:10We get the paycheck and we are quick
08:19to debit it. We say, well, this is the amount that I'm getting from this job.
08:25Have you ever clearly and honestly calculated how much are you losing by being in that job?
08:41Your salary figure is a number, easily accountable, easily processable.
08:50So, you take it and put it on the Excel sheet and you say, this is what I have gained.
08:56But there are other figures as well, other factors that are not probably equally smoothly monetizable.
09:04But if something is not easily monetizable, does it not exist?
09:13What is the cost of your suppressed emotions?
09:23I'm sorry, but most of us are doing jobs that don't pay us anything.
09:29Rather, we pay a lot to be in those jobs.
09:34The net takeaway from those jobs is highly negative. So much for our cleverness.
09:45It appears apparently, ostensibly, that let's say you take away a lakh rupees per month from your
09:53job. The reality might be that you're actually paying your organization two lakhs every month
10:01from your pocket by being in that job. One lakh is what you earn, three lakhs
10:09is what it costs you to earn one lakh.
10:15One lakh is what you earn and three lakhs is what it costs you to earn one lakh.
10:21What's your monthly takeaway, sir? What do you take home?
10:31Depression, anxiety,
10:35ulcers, a wasted life.
10:45We love these figures, no? Take home,
10:55CTC.
10:55Just as you calculate CTC, also calculate CT me, cost to me.
11:08But we are people of numbers. If something is not smoothly, easily convertible to numbers,
11:17we feel it does not exist at all.
11:19It does not exist at all.
11:22If your life turns loveless by serving these kind of jobs,
11:31you don't even want to factor in the lovelessness.
11:38Because your commerce and accounting books do not teach you
11:43how to convert lovelessness into a number.
11:49You do not know what is the cost of that lovelessness.
11:53So, you just keep it away. You say, no, this is not an accounting variable at all.
12:01Let's not consider it.
12:08It's almost like saying that because you do not have the means to measure the
12:16weight of an elephant, so the elephant does not weigh at all.
12:24Your usual weighing machines will not be able to measure the weight of an elephant.
12:34So, you come up with the fantastic conclusion that the elephant has no weight at all.
12:46So, small weights, 15 kgs, 20 kgs, 70, 80 kgs, we are
12:53easily able to measure on our common weighing machines. So, we factor them in.
13:01The huge ones, well, our measuring mechanisms fail in front of them.
13:11So, clever are we that we just ignore those weights.
13:22Let's say there is a huge lift, an elevator.
13:28It says maximum weight 600 kgs.
13:30Six of you weighing 500 kgs are already in and then an elephant walks in
13:45and you want to ignore the elephant. Why?
13:51Because you do not know the weight of the elephant. So, you say it's okay.
13:55Let the elephant walk in and then you ask why is there a sinking feeling?
14:12Everything appears to be sinking because you are
14:17deliberately, mischievously, dishonestly ignoring the elephant in the elevator.
14:31Everything will sink.
14:47So, joy is an intangible.
14:59We, therefore, just do not put any effort in calculating the tangible cost of joylessness.
15:17Ecstasy is an emotion, sir, is it not? Wow!
15:33When you say you want to manage emotions, are you saying that you
15:36want to manage your expressions of ecstasy? No. That's not what you mean.
15:43When you say you want to manage your emotions, you are saying you want to manage
15:49what are popularly called as negative emotions.
15:53And even in the negative emotions, you probably do not mean jealousy, etc.
15:58You mean? It's the anger, it's the frustration.
16:03It's the story of our lives. We expect the right things to happen at wrong places.
16:16You expect understanding and listening and love at places that are designed to be ruthless,
16:26loveless,
16:41soulless.
16:47It were not such a big problem if such places were an incidental part of our life.
16:56If such places were like the neighborhood park that you visit once in a while for a stroll.
17:04But it is a big problem because such places are central to our lives.
17:11We spend three quarters of our waking life there, don't we?
17:19Now, what is the quality of your life if three quarters of it is being spent in a place that is
17:24inherently inhuman?
17:30If it is turning you into a machine, if it's a dehumanization factory, what are you getting
17:40by being there?
17:44And the nature of the workplace more often than not is dictated by the nature of the work itself.
17:54What is the work that your organization is doing?
17:59How much of heart is there in the line of work that your organization has chosen?
18:02work that your organization is doing?
18:19How much of heart is there in the line of work that your organization has chosen?
18:31Is it not true that so many industries, I am not even talking of companies or businesses,
18:41entire industries thrive just on people?
18:58They exist only as long as man exists on the superficial levels of his being.
19:08The day man starts living in a deeper way, those businesses will fall off.
19:20Is it not true?
19:38Is it not true that so many businesses and so many professions actually require that
19:53the customer or client is foolish and stays foolish?
20:06And if the customer or a client actually gains wisdom, then the business will have to shut
20:11down.
20:18It is quite unlikely that a lawyer will teach you tolerance, peace and compromise.
20:37It might just happen miraculously, but unlikely.
20:51It is quite unlikely that an insurance agent would teach you fearlessness and freedom from
21:03insecurity.
21:09And why talk of the poor agent?
21:16It's a thing with that entire industry.
21:29Or an arms manufacturing giant, is it going to pray for global peace?
21:43Or a fizzy drinks company selling carbonated drinks, is it going to pray that the world
21:54switches to healthy drinks, fresh juices?
22:04Is that going to happen?
22:05But look at the number of people that they employ.
22:07We are talking of giant MNCs here, right?
22:17And the very existence, let alone profits of those firms depend on the customer remaining
22:27foolish.
22:32They would actively want to promote foolishness among their customers.
22:37And that's why they need to advertise so much.
22:59Have you ever wondered how much of the processing power of your smartphone do you actually use?
23:08Most people do not use even a small fraction of the processing power of their laptops or
23:15their smartphones.
23:17But they still change their mobiles, their handsets every year.
23:24What for?
23:34If people had any wisdom, there would be so many companies that would go bankrupt.
23:48Obviously, in such places that are founded on falseness, anything that reveals the false
24:18falseness of the place would be hardly welcome.
24:23They would want all their employees to put on a pretense.
24:28They would say, act as if you all are happy.
24:48Take for example, schools.
24:52You know what kind of industry that is.
24:55If the parents had any wisdom, what would happen to the schools?
25:03Isn't it imperative for the schools that the parents remain astoundingly foolish?
25:11Otherwise who would pay lakhs and lakhs to a so-called international school?
25:27We know what is the real value that a school delivers.
25:31We know how much of that is purely superficial.
25:53That's one mark of a toxic organization.
26:18People would be all required to wear a certain uniformity.
26:41Speaking your heart out would be unwelcome.
26:52You would be encouraged to be a regular fellow.
26:55What is meant by being a regular fellow?
26:58Not one of the outliers.
27:04The moment you digress a little, you will be called a maverick.
27:11And they'll say, no, no, we are a very disciplined and professional organization.
27:17We do not want mavericks.
27:38We want disciplined machines.
27:52You're not in the office to talk heart.
27:55You are in the office to talk work.
27:58And that clearly means that there is no heart in the work.
28:06And that's why it's required to have a watertight separation between personal and professional
28:10life.
28:12That's the second mark of the toxic organization.
28:17It will say personally you can be anything.
28:20But professionally, you must be a regular guy.
28:25The real organization will find it very difficult to keep your personal and professional self
29:01separate.
29:13You want to be at one of such places, really?
29:24What's your C to me?
29:35Your bank statement does not represent the totality of your life, please.
29:43It only represents something that is numerical.
29:49It does not represent what you really have or what you are really losing.
29:55Your bank statement is really a very, very poor and an extremely partial indicator of
30:04your riches.
30:07It represents actually nothing at all.
30:11If you are relying on your bank statement to know your net worth, you probably require
30:29a course in higher arithmetic.
30:33What else is spirituality?
30:35It's a course from the mathematics department.
30:39It's called higher arithmetic so that you can learn to add and subtract rightly.