Stand separate from your chemistry

Following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner: Namaskar Acharya Ji, in ‘Listen Little Man’, ‘great man’ tries to expose the problems of the little man and help him understand them. But ‘little man’ continuously rejects ‘great man’, and does not even put thought towards what is been told. I find it difficult to agree if someone tries to expose my littleness and help me, especially if it is coming from people close to me. What does it take for the ‘little man’ to understand his littleness and to grow from it?

When somebody is trying to show that pettiness in me, immediately I try to move back. I mean, I don’t feel like accepting it right away, it takes some time. Over a period of time only, I will try to think over it. But at that moment, I don’t feel like giving it a thought.

Acharya Prashant: That’s alright. It takes some time, yes. Remember that the first reaction comes from that which is prone to react. Consciousness is not reactive. Consciousness can wait. Chemicals are reactive. This body is made of chemicals, they react. A certain word falls upon your ears, and there is an instant reaction. Is there not? Your entire body can get heated up. One word falling on your ears can raise your temperature by two degrees within two minutes. Is it not a chemical reaction?