Acharya Prashant explains that the common understanding of success and failure is fundamentally flawed because it is based on the goals of a confused, divided, and dependent mind. He argues that if one's targets are influenced by external forces, such as what one has read, heard, or seen, then the attainment of those targets cannot truly be called one's own success. Most people define success through external validation and certificates rather than internal satisfaction or immersion in an activity. This dependency makes one a slave to the opinions of others, such as an audience or an institution, rather than finding joy in the action itself. He further describes the dualistic nature of success and failure, noting that they are interdependent. Real success is often preceded by a feeling of misery or failure; the greater the suffering beforehand, the greater the perceived relief or success afterward. Acharya Prashant compares this to the relief felt after removing a tight, uncomfortable pair of jeans, suggesting that such success is merely the cessation of self-imposed suffering. He encourages a different kind of education that involves looking into one's own mind to understand the truth of how one lives, rather than chasing borrowed concepts of achievement.