Acharya Prashant explains that when individuals are deeply enslaved by habits and conditioning, freedom can become unappealing or even frightening. He compares this state to a bird that has lived in a cage for so long that it refuses to fly away when the door is opened, preferring the safety and security of its confinement over the risks of the open sky. This habituation to slavery makes it difficult for people to appreciate the value of freedom if they have never truly experienced it. He notes that many people have grown so accustomed to external influences that they no longer recognize their own lack of free will. However, Acharya Prashant highlights that feeling resentment or discomfort when forced to act against one's interest is a positive sign. This resistance indicates that a person is not completely dead or mechanical and still possesses a small understanding of what freedom is. He encourages the listener to recognize that slavery is not just about being forced to do something, but is more deeply rooted in being conditioned and habituated to external influences. Realizing the full extent of this conditioning is the first step toward resisting it and reclaiming one's life.
