In response to a question about the dilemma between working from home and working from the office, Acharya Prashant states that for him, where there is work, there is home. He considers the term "work from home" to be a tautology, as work and home should be one and the same. He explains that there are some people whose work and home are separate, and he describes their condition as very pathetic and miserable. The common distinction between personal and professional life, often termed "work-life balance," is presented as a virtue, but he sees it as a very helpless and pitiable state. Acharya Prashant elaborates that for him, work is life, and wherever he is, he is always working. That place becomes his home and his workplace. He questions the desire to stop working at a specific time, like 5 or 6 PM, suggesting that this indicates a dislike for the work itself. If one truly loves their work, they would not want to stop it, just as one does not wish to stop their heartbeat or breathing. He argues that the need for a hybrid model or the desire to stop working arises only for those who dislike their work. This dislike often stems from choosing a job solely for career and money, which then leads to negotiations over leaves, travel allowances, and shorter work weeks. He posits that the purpose of money is to advance one's work, not for personal consumption. He gives an example of a perfectionist film director who is willing to bear extra costs to achieve the desired quality, showing that the work is more important than the money. He advises everyone to choose work that they can be madly in love with. When work becomes your life, you are saved from many troubles. The distinction between personal and professional life is a great hell, and these two should be brought as close as possible. When work is the center of your life, you are saved from the mire of relationships, which he identifies as the cause of 80-90% of mental illnesses. This does not mean one will not have relationships, but they will be the right kind, where the partner is a companion in the work, not the center of life itself. True love, he says, always involves three: you, the other, and a shared higher purpose or work. This right work is the soul of any right relationship.
