आत्मक्षिद्रं न प्रकाशयेत | is the chanakya sutra that we will be discussing today. It means “Not to show your weaknesses to others“. If you are a regular reader, then you will notice that the idea being stated has been repeated numerous times while explaining the verses from Chanakya Neeti and Chanakya Sutra.
It has been observed that we humans have a tendency to seek sympathy/acceptance of others. Not all, but most of the people do so and in the flow of emotions we reveal a lot of things that were to be kept as a secret. Most probably you yourself have experienced such moments.
Let me tell you one thing that relationships are very dynamic in nature. With time your opponent might become your friend and your trustworthy friends might turn hostile. Also, you cannot be so sure about real intentions of the person in front with soft tone and a lot of sympathy.
You can either risk your safety by revealing your weakness or you can ensure your well being by remaining silent. The choice is not simple, but very simple!
Still, I keep hearing the replies like “I know, but I can’t control myself. Please suggest something”. In such cases the problem can only be fixed by you. Self Control is the simplest answer. No rocket science involved.
Another issue that I would raise today is about substance abuse and alcohol consumption in particular. After getting drunk people say anything (somethings everything). There are obvious health benefits of not drinking alcohol. Another good reason for not drinking alcohol is that you remain in your control and your weaknesses remain a secret.
The moral of the whole story is that you must not share your secrets; even with a friend. Why provide a good friend with opportunity to turn bad. I repeat “SELF CONTROL” is the key. Use it …
* I never said that you must ignore your weaknesses. Whatever be the fault, it must be fixed.
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