Acharya Prashant advises a software engineer who plans to quit his job due to the perceived greed and insecurity of his colleagues. He cautions that if one has not fully understood themselves, it is impossible to truly understand others. The ego often claims certainty about the character of others while remaining ignorant of its own nature. Knowledge of the external world cannot coexist with ignorance of the internal self; the faculty used to perceive others must first be applied to oneself. He suggests that the questioner should not act in haste, as resigning is an irreversible decision that requires only a moment of impulsiveness, whereas entering a profession requires significant effort. The speaker explains that the ego hates uncertainty and prefers to label others quickly to avoid the hard work of internal investigation. He encourages the questioner to examine their own intentions and the inner faculty of judgment that labels others as villains or threats. While the assessment of others might eventually prove correct, it must be based on self-knowledge to be an informed realization. Drawing a parallel to survival in a jungle, Acharya Prashant notes that while animals only need to know the external environment to survive, a human seeking spiritual growth must prioritize internal exploration. One must first acquire the right to know the world by knowing themselves.
