Acharya Prashant responds to a questioner who expresses fear and distrust in facing a teacher, despite knowing that a direct connection could alleviate her suffering. She describes moments of clarity about the marvelous nature of the Self, which are quickly overshadowed by the ego's fear. Acharya Prashant begins by humorously asking if he is truly as "vicious" or "horrible" as her fear suggests, stating that this very question holds the answer. He explains that thought's function is to serve and protect its master, the ego. The fear-inducing thought that something horrible, destructive, or unpleasant could happen is not random; it is extremely purposeful. Because we do not truly know ourselves, we are unaware of the origin and purpose of such thoughts. He elaborates that when thought suggests that a teacher, a book, or the process of self-observation is dangerous or might cause pain, it is acting on its assigned purpose: to save its master, the ego, which is rooted in falseness. No thought is truly random; its existence is to secure and defend all that is false. The master, in this case, is the ego, and the servant is thought. The master has decided to experiment, so the servant has been told to wait outside the room. Acharya Prashant advises that the only principle one needs to accept is that being in touch with reality can never harm anyone. While it might be temporarily painful, one is not so fragile. He encourages using thought purposefully and sharply, like a tool for a specific mission, and then allowing it to be still. He uses the analogy of a runner who is always running and thus has no energy left for an actual race; similarly, a mind that is never still cannot perform excellently when action is required. The fundamental axiom is that coming face-to-face with things as they are can never be inauspicious. If one can learn to be still when there is nothing to do, one will be excellent when it is time to act.