Acharya Prashant explains that we do not 'have' an ego; rather, we 'are' egos. He clarifies that the ego is a sum total of external influences, such as society, education, family, and religion, which are foreign to one's true essence. Because the ego is entirely external, a person living through it is essentially a slave to foreign influences, making their life and goals a mere repetition of the past. He emphasizes that the brain is a collection of past experiences stored in DNA, primarily concerned with security and continuity, which limits its ability to conceive a truly new future. Therefore, goals derived from the ego are not truly one's own but are dictated by the 'masters' of one's conditioning. He further discusses the purpose of education, noting that traditional systems focus only on objects outside of the self, such as science and history, while neglecting the 'subject'—the individual. This neglect leads to a confused and distracted mind. Acharya Prashant asserts that while external guidance is necessary during childhood when the brain is not yet ripe for intelligence, an adult must use their inherent intelligence to distinguish between what is foreign and what is essential. He clarifies that self-awareness does not mean escaping society or becoming a monk; it means realizing that external influences, like language or clothes, are utilitarian and not the core of one's identity. Without this self-understanding, even highly skilled individuals, like those indoctrinated into harmful ideologies, will make decisions that are ultimately inappropriate for their own well-being.
