Acharya Prashant addresses the question of why Indians seem to fear chasing excellence compared to Western countries. He begins by stating that any search for excellence, whether in science, technology, or other fields, involves the use of thought. He explains that India was extremely fortunate to have discovered something beyond thought. This discovery, being beyond the realm of thought, could not be verified or examined but could only be surrendered to. Consequently, India developed a culture where thought was not considered the highest thing, as there was a belief in a truth beyond human action, thought, and creation. This ultimate wisdom was discovered by a select few sages who, in their compassion, relayed it to the masses. The speaker argues that this led to an unfortunate situation where the masses, believing they had received the final solution—that the world and even the thinker do not truly exist—felt no need to aspire or think further. Ambition and attempts to rise higher began to seem childish and futile. In contrast, the West had questions about identity and existence that it sought to settle through thought. This continuous questioning led to the development of philosophy, from which Western science emerged. The West's relentless pursuit of answers through thought fueled its progress, as it never reached a final, conclusive answer and thus kept moving forward. Acharya Prashant posits that India, having received the ultimate answer prematurely, bypassed the entire process of thought. Instead of following the arduous journey of the sages who used their minds to the fullest extent to reach a point beyond the mind, the common people simply emulated the final result. This led to a culture that relies on belief, trust, and copying rather than original thought and critical inquiry. He suggests that in the attempt to become sages, Indians became savages, because savages also do not use their minds. He describes three levels of consciousness: the savage (beast), the simpleton (commoner), and the sage (liberated one), noting that in trying to emulate the sage, it is easy to fall to the level of the savage. The speaker concludes that to go beyond the mind, one must first use the mind to its fullest potential, a step that India has largely skipped, resulting in a culture that often scoffs at logic, reason, and critical thinking.