I don't want anything negative in my life, like hate, comparison

There is a serene wisdom and spiritual depth in the words of Vivek Oberoi, when he declared: “I don't want anything negative in my life, like hate, comparison, competition, and jealousy. I think these things are very heavy and take away from you the way of enjoying life.” In these words, we hear not the ambition of a man chasing fame, but the awakening of a soul that has tasted both success and sorrow, and has learned the weight of worldly emotions. His statement is not mere idealism — it is the understanding that negativity is not simply around us, but within us, and that the art of living lies in mastering what burdens the heart.

The key to his message lies in the image of heaviness — of hate, comparison, competition, and jealousy as weights that drag the spirit down. In the ancient world, sages often spoke of the human soul as a bird that longs to rise toward the heavens but is chained by desire, anger, and envy. Vivek Oberoi’s words echo that same eternal teaching: that life is not meant to be a constant struggle of ego, but a dance of lightness, gratitude, and joy. To carry hatred is to chain oneself; to live in comparison is to wound one’s peace; to compete endlessly is to lose sight of purpose; and to be jealous is to close one’s eyes to one’s own blessings.

His insight was not born in comfort but through reflection — for Vivek Oberoi, like many artists, knew both the praise of fame and the sting of criticism. In a world that thrives on competition and public judgment, he recognized that the most destructive wars are not fought between people, but within the heart. The modern world teaches us to compare — our beauty, our success, our love, our worth — and in doing so, we lose the ability to truly enjoy life. His rejection of these poisons is an act of rebellion against the noise of the world, a call to return to inner stillness.

Throughout history, the wise have echoed this same truth. The Buddha taught that desire and envy are the roots of suffering. Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, wrote that the one who envies another’s fortune destroys his own contentment. And Vivek Oberoi’s words stand as a modern reflection of this ancient wisdom. He recognizes that negativity, though subtle, accumulates — like dust upon the soul — until life, which was meant to be radiant and free, feels burdened and gray. True joy is not found in surpassing others, but in surpassing oneself — in freeing the heart from the gravity of bitterness and fear.

There is a lesson here in the story of Leo Tolstoy, the great writer who once lived in endless ambition and pride. He competed with other authors, sought fame, and compared his work with theirs — until his spirit grew weary. When he finally renounced these pursuits, choosing simplicity and compassion, he found the peace that had eluded him all his life. Like Oberoi, Tolstoy learned that comparison and competition are mirages — they promise fulfillment but leave one thirsty. It is only when a man turns inward, when he stops measuring his worth by others, that he discovers the infinite joy already within.

To live without these “heavy” emotions is not to live without passion, but to live with clarity. Vivek Oberoi’s wisdom reminds us that the purpose of life is not to prove, but to experience — to love without hatred, to strive without rivalry, to celebrate without jealousy. When we let go of these burdens, the heart becomes light again, and in that lightness, everything — the laughter of a friend, the beauty of dawn, the music of rain — becomes a miracle.

Let this, then, be the teaching for those who seek peace: release what is heavy. When hatred rises, meet it with compassion; when comparison whispers, answer it with gratitude; when competition blinds you, return to purpose; when jealousy burns, cool it with love. Life is not a battlefield for validation but a garden for growth. The wise do not run faster — they walk freer.

Thus, in Vivek Oberoi’s words, we find a timeless truth: to enjoy life, one must first unlearn the ways of the restless world. Cast away hate, comparison, competition, and jealousy, for they are chains that bind the soul. In their absence, joy flows naturally, like water freed from a dam. The heart becomes lighter, the mind clearer, and life itself — once burdened by ego — becomes a song once more.