Acharya Prashant clarifies that real inquiry is not suspicion, doubt, or the mere collection of information. He explains that while people often confuse inquiry with acting like a detective or gathering data, true inquiry is actually closeness. This closeness is the gateway to knowing the actuality of anything. He points out that fear prevents us from knowing facts because fear makes us refuse to come close to the object of inquiry. Using the example of a pet, he illustrates that we know things through proximity and intimacy rather than through books or external data.