Being Impressed By Others – Is It Beneficial? * *

To keep our self esteem intact, we need to make sure that we do not have an
impressionable intellect. Being impressed by people, in itself, is not bad,
but we can fall into the tendency of staying trapped in the superfluous
(excessive and unnecessary) and in appearances. What impresses us influences
us and even moulds our awareness at that moment. We lose the ability to
create our thoughts and feelings and these are influenced by the impression
that we have allowed the other person to leave on us. Sometimes the
impression is such that we completely give ourselves to it. We give up our
power to the other, and we allow them to dominate our emotional world. The
results of allowing oneself to be impressed are varied and on different
levels.


For example, when we are impressed by the other's position; it is fine to
respect the authority and the position of the other, but when we allow their
position to impress us, our ability to relate to the person in a smooth way
is blocked. This can make it difficult for us to be the authority in our own
life.


Another example is when we are impressed by the achievements of the other
and put them on a pedestal. We compare ourselves with him or her and have
weak thoughts of ourselves, such as that we are not as good or effective as
them, or we might feel jealousy or guilt. All of this acts as an obstacle on
the path towards our own achievement.


It is good to recognise and appreciate the achievements and skills of
others, but when we allow them to impress us, in some way, we submit
ourselves to their influence and we weaken our self-esteem and our respect
towards ourselves. Without realizing, we use the other to fill a gap that we
feel in ourselves. This will not always work. It will not strengthen us;
rather it will create a dependency and dependencies weaken us.
** *

Gurbani Says-
ਜਗ ਸਿਉ ਝੂਠ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਮਨੁ ਬੇਧਿਆ ਜਨ ਸਿਉ ਵਾਦੁ ਰਚਾਈ ॥
जग सिउ झूठ प्रीति मनु बेधिआ जन सिउ वादु रचाई ॥
Jag si▫o jẖūṯẖ parīṯ man beḏẖi▫ā jan si▫o vāḏ racẖā▫ī.
The mind is impressed with the false love of the world; he quarrels with the Lord's humble servant.

ਮਾਇਆ ਮਗਨੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਮਗੁ ਜੋਹੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਲੇਵੈ ਮਰੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਖਾਈ ॥
माइआ मगनु अहिनिसि मगु जोहै नामु न लेवै मरै बिखु खाई ॥
Mā▫i▫ā magan ahinis mag johai nām na levai marai bikẖ kẖā▫ī.
Infatuated with Maya, night and day, he sees only the worldly path; he does not chant the Naam, and drinking poison, he dies.

ਗੰਧਣ ਵੈਣਿ ਰਤਾ ਹਿਤਕਾਰੀ ਸਬਦੈ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਨ ਆਈ ॥
गंधण वैणि रता हितकारी सबदै सुरति न आई ॥
Ganḏẖaṇ vaiṇ raṯā hiṯkārī sabḏai suraṯ na ā▫ī.
He is imbued and infatuated with vicious talk; the Word of the Shabad does not come into his consciousness.

ਰੰਗਿ ਨ ਰਾਤਾ ਰਸਿ ਨਹੀ ਬੇਧਿਆ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਪਤਿ ਗਵਾਈ ॥੨॥
रंगि न राता रसि नही बेधिआ मनमुखि पति गवाई ॥२॥
Rang na rāṯā ras nahī beḏẖi▫ā manmukẖ paṯ gavā▫ī. ||2||
He is not imbued with the Lord's Love, and he is not impressed by the taste of the Name; the self-willed manmukh loses his honor. ||2||

Page no-596 sri Guru Granth saheb ji
Guru Nanak Dev ji