Acharya Prashant explains that the feeling of being on a see-saw between seeking solitude and companionship is not actually a see-saw. Instead, it is the seeking of one single, common thing through two diametrically opposite ways. We all seek something, but we do not know what it is. The absence of this important thing is felt as a constant, underlying angst. When we crave company, it is because we want something through that company; no person, thing, or object is an end in itself but rather a means to something more important. The problem is that we do not know what this important thing is, yet its absence makes itself felt. We try to counter this experience of absence with an experience of abundance, hoping it will fill the void within. We seek its presence through various experiences like being with someone, visiting places, switching jobs, or reading special books. When these external pursuits fail, we then seek solitude, and thus the cycle, which appears like a see-saw, continues. We run from one object, like a person, to another, like a beach or a book, but we are defeated both ways because we do not know what we truly need company for. We get into sub-optimal company, and when that doesn't work, we rush towards solitude, which also fails to provide lasting relief. This constant pulling in different directions happens because we do not know the one, final, authentic direction. Acharya Prashant states that the only goal of life is contentment, which is to alleviate the inner suffering we are born into. The world and all its activities exist for the sake of our spiritual progress; they are not two separate domains. The only criterion for any decision, large or small, should be whether it contributes to our inner maturity. If an action does not contribute to this inward maturity, it has zero sense, regardless of worldly success like fame or money. Without the real thing, which is satisfaction, fame and money are just burdens. Spirituality is an existential imperative for every common person because we all share the human condition of suffering and the desire for happiness. The fact that everyone wants to be happy proves that our current condition is one of unhappiness. The non-spiritual person also tries to end suffering, but does so by merely transmuting it—running in circles and changing its form—rather than elevating it. True spirituality is about taking your suffering to a higher level, which involves realizing who you are and working for your own welfare.