Acharya Prashant explains that humans are the only species on Earth that suffer intensely, leading to high rates of depression, crime, and suicide. He argues that unlike animals, humans have a unique obligation to understand themselves; without self-knowledge, they fall into madness and misery. This internal emptiness and sense of incompleteness drive humans to exploit the world, including animals and other people, in a futile attempt to find fulfillment through material possessions, status, or sensory pleasures.