Acharya Prashant addresses the question of how to know if a goal is worthy. He begins by correcting the phrasing from "a worthy goal" to "my worthy goal," emphasizing that the worth of a goal is not an objective or absolute thing. Instead, it is entirely dependent on the individual who is setting the goal. The worth of a goal is determined by how much it serves you. Therefore, the question transforms from "What is a worthy goal?" to first understanding who you are. Before you can know what is good for you, you must know yourself. The speaker explains that setting a goal is an exercise in correction. A goal is only needed when something in one's life needs to be set right. If your life is already alright, there is no need for a goal. Therefore, to determine a worthy goal, one must first ask, "What is it in me that needs to be addressed and corrected?" This self-inquiry will reveal what your goal must be. The entire activity of setting a goal is very subjective and for your own sake, not for a universal or social purpose. You have a life to live, and therefore you are setting a goal for yourself. Acharya Prashant points out that most people choose their goals in a dehumanized way, based on external factors like what career is popular, which institution is prestigious, or which country is good to settle in. They fail to ask the crucial question: "For whom?" They do not bring themselves into the picture. This happens because people often fail to read the fine print and state the complete sentence, which should be, "What goal is best for me?" This failure stems from a lack of self-knowledge, as people are often afraid to look at their current state and what is going on in their inner world. The systems that raise us, including family and society, rarely sensitize us to the importance of self-knowledge, leading us to pursue goals based on others' expectations rather than our own genuine needs.
