Are Influencers Truly Helping or Just Selling You Deodorants? || Acharya Prashant (2025)

Acharya Prashant

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00:00Influencers and activists, generally they are quite narcissistic, but they act like it's about the cause.

00:05So my question is, still they're doing something. Can someone like this still do any good for the world?

00:11Man's default state is of narcissism. Rare is the one who is not a narcissist.

00:18Now what I'm saying is unpalatable, because it will make you question your idols, your role models.

00:26It's an interesting word, no?

00:29Influencer. Pretend that you are generous and are coming to give. He will open the doors.

00:34Followers are meant to be traded like sheep. People are meant to be sold.

00:41To me, it is a surprise that people are surprised when they see evil.

00:45That's what you use your influence for, no?

00:48Even a fish has to be offered some bait. So let's call that social service.

00:54Suddenly, some top leaders have become admirers of the Gita.

00:59Acharya Ji, we want to learn Gita from you. So I said, you come over and learn Gita from me.

01:04He said, no, but the camera will be there, right? Maybe he wants to record it for future revision.

01:08Now you will upload that, right? I will ask you questions, you reply to me.

01:13I'm damn sure you would have received very feeble returns on his investment.

01:18If you cannot put your idols and your duties in the dock, you'll never be liberated.

01:25My question is about influencers and activists are generally fine on social media.

01:41So generally, they are quite narcissistic and it's not about the cause.

01:44It's about making them appear like good and better than others.

01:50Yes. So my question is, can someone like this still do something good for the world?

01:58And I also find myself...

02:00Please, please clarify.

02:02What is it about influencers that intrigues you?

02:07I mean, they are narcissists in the way. It's not about the cause.

02:10Yes, they are narcissists.

02:11And so still, it's not about the cause, but they act like it's about the cause.

02:20So my question is, still they are doing something, like the action is happening.

02:25So can someone like this still do any good for the world?

02:29I don't know how you would want to define it and name it.

02:38If somebody is delivering you medicine diluted to the extent of 90%, because his objective

02:59does not lie in delivering you the medicine, his objective lies in having the maximum possible for himself.

03:13I do not know whether you would call it service or exploitation.

03:19Not that he is not delivering you anything.

03:21Well, he is delivering you something.

03:26But delivering this something is a compulsion, so that he can appropriate almost everything.

03:39If he does not leave even 10% for you, it will become impossible for him to gobble the 90%.

03:49Depends on you how you want to name it.

03:51Service, appropriation, exploitation, fraud, nishkama karma, depends on you.

04:09See, how can somebody exploit you without offering you something at least

04:22Even a fish has to be offered some bait, you know, before it is killed.

04:30So let's call that social service.

04:37Bait too costs money.

04:38As a rule, somebody who is still insecure about his own life can hardly be of any good to others.

04:57Somebody who is still is afraid about his own security, has no capacity to love.

05:15If you are insecure about yourself, how are you going to love others?

05:18Because you can only exploit others, your primary concern, will be your own welfare, because your own internal affairs are not yet settled.

05:32So you will look at others with an eye to using them.

05:42It's an interesting word, no?

05:43Influencer.

05:44Influencer.

05:45You become an influencer and then you become a carrier of deodorant ads.

06:01Carrier of deodorant ads and stretchable shirts.

06:14That's what you use your influence for, no?

06:26Why does one want to become a celebrity?

06:30So that he can be used to sell things to people.

06:39What else is your celebrity ship for?

06:41Tell me please.

06:44You aspire to be an Instagram sensation.

06:50You become one.

06:52What do you do then?

06:54What do you do?

06:55You start selling deodorants.

07:03Your foundation happens to have a large number at the followers figure on all social media.

07:18YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and the like.

07:29So not a day is there when we do not receive 5 emails requesting some slot on any of our social media.

07:48And the fellows are such idiots.

07:54They overestimate your foundation so much.

07:58One of them was prepared.

08:03Would you believe it?

08:04Would you believe it?

08:08To pay

08:1280,000 dollars, US dollars

08:15for a single post on our social media.

08:23I am damn sure he would have received very feeble returns on his investment.

08:28That is investment.

08:31But somehow people are foolish enough to think that your foundation is influential.

08:39And that the foundation will use its influence to make its followers by deodorants.

08:52And not all of that has to be out in the open.

09:02You can sell in a very subtle way.

09:04You know Acharya Ji can come here and there can be some particular brand displayed here.

09:17Often I have to wear horrible outfits, particularly shirts.

09:23Just because the one that I like has the name or the logo of the manufacturer prominently displayed here on the chest.

09:33Now even if the shirt fits well and is very comfortable.

09:38I cannot wear it.

09:42Because I am not supposed to bring ads to you.

09:44But that would be so easy, no?

09:50You all won't even realize it.

09:52That you have been unconsciously

09:55being

09:59indoctrinated into buying a particular brand.

10:07One particular logo here.

10:09That's very common.

10:10You won't even blame me.

10:13You will say he is wearing a shirt.

10:15Can't even wear shirts now.

10:19That's what you become an influencer for.

10:23And these are small things.

10:25Selling merchandise, no?

10:28At least two major political parties in India.

10:352024.

10:36They are behind your foundation.

10:39Behind your foundation not in the sense of backing your foundation.

10:41In the sense of chasing your foundation.

10:47Please, please, somehow endorse us.

10:48Suddenly, some top leaders.

11:02Have become admirers of the Gita.

11:06Acharya Ji, we want to learn Gita from you.

11:14So I said, you come over and learn Gita from me.

11:17He said, no but the camera will be there, right?

11:21I said, what will you do with the camera?

11:22You want to learn the Gita?

11:23Come and learn the Gita.

11:24I am all yours.

11:26He said, no let there be a camera.

11:27I said, fine there will be a camera.

11:28Maybe he wants to record it for future revision.

11:32I said, yes there will be a camera.

11:35So he said, right now you will upload that, right?

11:38I will ask you questions, you reply to me.

11:41And then you please upload it.

11:43I said, why do you want it to be uploaded?

11:45You want to learn the Gita?

11:47Why do you demonstrate it to the public?

11:48That's what you become an influencer for.

11:55Your foundation can easily get a lot of political backing.

12:12People are meant to be sold.

12:15Followers are meant to be traded like sheep.

12:22I have 50 million followers.

12:27What do I do with them?

12:28I trade them.

12:35Just that when I meet them, I say, oh, I love you all.

12:39And then what do I do?

12:40I go and sell them behind their back.

12:51Narcissism is not something to be surprised by.

13:01Man's default state is of narcissism.

13:04Sir, what else can the ego possibly be?

13:11Who is a narcissist?

13:13Who just keeps thinking of himself?

13:16And if you are afraid,

13:18what else will you do?

13:20You will keep thinking of your own security.

13:22The ego, by definition,

13:28is a narcissist.

13:29Rare is the one who is not a narcissist.

13:42Just that some are openly narcissistic.

13:46The others pretend to be social creatures.

13:54Social servants.

13:56Amiable.

14:00Altruistic.

14:06The ego cannot be altruistic.

14:08Impossible.

14:10If a fellow looks very generous,

14:14without being self-aware,

14:18then that generosity is a facade behind which there would be loot and plunder.

14:23It's a good way.

14:32No?

14:37To enter somebody's home before ransacking it.

14:42Pretend that you are generous and are coming to give.

14:45He will open the doors.

14:53To me, it is a surprise that people are surprised.

15:04When they see evil.

15:06I want you to be surprised so frequently.

15:07That you cease being surprised.

15:09Because you don't know that you are evil.

15:25So you don't know that others are evil.

15:26Three quarters of all animals you wiped out from the face of this planet.

15:39In just the last five decades.

15:42And you still think humanity has even a shred of goodness about it?

15:48Come on.

15:50Now what I am saying is unpalatable.

16:00Because it will make you question your idols, your role models.

16:07The deities you worship.

16:14If you cannot put your idols and your deities in the dark.

16:22You will never be liberated.

16:24Thank you sir.

16:25Thank you sir.

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