Acharya Prashant explains that the ego is essentially the act of viewing one's image through the eyes of others. This dependency makes an individual a slave to external opinions, leading to a constant state of fear. For instance, the fear of public speaking arises because one's self-image is borrowed from others; if others grant a positive image, they also possess the power to take it away. Consequently, the ego keeps a person in a perpetual state of insecurity and prevents them from being the master of their own internal state.
