Irrespective of what we want, we all want That same one thing || Acharya Prashant (2015)

Question: Sir, in the market place, everywhere, are they not selling just the ‘Identities’? For example, if we talk about a newspaper, one kind newspaper is read by one kind of intellectual people. They relate to it, they have an identity through which they relate to the newspaper.

Similarly if we talk of cars, they do not sell just a vehicle which can run at a particular rpm etc. They sell it to an ‘identity’ that if you are high-class, or you are fun-loving, or you are sportsman, then you should buy a certain kind of car. So everywhere there is a ‘hope’.

Speaker: See that’s the whole business of this world. We all are thirsty people. So what else can be sold to us, except the promise of…?

Listener 1: Water.

Speaker: Water. All that anybody sells to us is – a promise, hope, that your essential thirst will be quenched. “Come! Come! Come! Come over to my shop. Empty your pockets and I will bring fulfillment to you.” Is that not what they are saying? They might be just selling a pair of shoes, or a wrist watch, or a pen, but whatever they are selling, they are selling the same, one thing. And what is that?

Listener 1: Promise.