Acharya Prashant explains the true meaning of compromise by asking who it is that compromises. He uses the analogy of a flowing river that encounters a high piece of land. The river doesn't compromise; it naturally finds the lower, easier path to continue its flow. In contrast, he describes trying to hammer a nail into a wall. The wall resists, but the force of the hammer makes the nail pierce it. This, he explains, is where compromise happens. The wall represents the ego. Compromise is necessary only where there is a wall, an ego. The speaker clarifies a common misunderstanding: that not compromising means being stubborn or rigidly sticking to one's point. He states that not compromising actually means not being like a wall, not offering resistance to life. It means being like a flowing river. The word 'compromise' is only meaningful when there is opposition or resistance. The one who compromises is the one who has resistance. Where there is no resistance, the question of compromise does not arise. For instance, when you give a lot in love, you don't call it a compromise. Compromise occurs when the mind desires one thing but is forced to do another due to external pressure, fear, or a weak power of resistance. This resistance comes from the ego. He further elaborates that a river, though powerful enough to cut through mountains, does not resist. It is engrossed in its own flow towards the ocean and finds its way around obstacles. It doesn't feel like it's compromising. Conversely, a wall has nowhere to go; it just stands, asserting its existence. This is why you can hammer a nail into a wall but not into a river. The speaker points out that those who have truly understood life, like the enlightened masters, are not inactive. They are like the river, flowing with life. If a situation demands a fight, they fight with full force; if it demands silence, they are silent. They are completely present in whatever is happening, without resistance. Not compromising, therefore, is not stubbornness. It is the wisdom to know what is appropriate in the moment and to let it happen completely, without becoming a hindrance or an obstacle yourself.