Acharya Prashant begins by explaining that to be happy without depending on others, one must first see that the happiness obtained by depending on others has a certain transience about it. Recognizing this helps one to become disengaged from that kind of happiness. Otherwise, if one is certain that the source of happiness is in the world and lies in others, then the very possibility and inspiration to seek differently do not arise. The process begins by honestly examining what we are usually doing: continuously seeking happiness in this or that. We are succeeding, and we are continuously seeking happiness, which means the success is incomplete and short-lived, even if it comes. We highlight the success as our achievement and downplay the failure as a law of life. We have surrendered to the cycle of working hard to attain happiness, and then the happiness withers away, and because it withers away, we again try hard to get more or the same happiness. The ego has defined its success and its satisfaction in this cycle. After you lose happiness, go for it once again. When you are fully occupied in this endeavor, there is nothing available to observe what you are doing. You have totally given yourself, committed yourself, and surrendered to this cyclical process. Then, of course, there is no possibility of examining this process. Joy is not ordinary happiness; it is a very demanding kind of happiness. It is a happiness that demands sadness. Joy comes with disillusionment. If you are hopeful about the world, joy won't be possible. Joy and the ego cannot coexist for long. That's why, obviously, the ego resists joy. Joy is expensive; happiness is quite cheap. Joy requires that you sell away happiness itself. And that is merely the first installment. The ego does not like joy.