Acharya Prashant responds to a question about a Pew Research Center survey indicating that 85% of Indians support autocracy or military rule. He begins by explaining that democracy is inherently conflict-ridden and operates with a lot of friction, like a car that heats up while running. He finds it surprising that democracy has survived in India for so long. When people observe this inefficiency, they often look to China and desire a similar autocratic system. This sentiment, he notes, is more prevalent in North India than in South India, which he attributes to a non-rebellious Indian psyche. He questions whether a true revolution has ever occurred in India, suggesting that if it had, a small number of British rulers would have been easily overthrown. Delving into the psychological roots of this preference, Acharya Prashant links it to the level of consciousness. He describes a primitive, extroverted consciousness, akin to an animal's, which only looks outward and is incapable of introspection. For such a consciousness, the greatest power is always perceived as external, leading to the worship of natural forces like large rivers or mountains. This, he explains, is the origin of the concept of autocracy, where the first external ruler is God. This fosters the idea of a benevolent but tyrannical deity who can be appeased through prayer. He characterizes this mindset as the "infancy of consciousness," where individuals surrender personal responsibility to an external authority. He contrasts this with the historical development in the West, particularly the Renaissance, which he describes as a rebellion against the authority of both the Church and the King. The Renaissance promoted individual thought, which gave rise to democracy. However, he points out that thought is inherently selfish, which in turn led to colonialism and world wars. The next evolutionary step beyond democracy (the rule of the mind), he suggests, is "Satya-tantra" (the rule of Truth). He distinguishes between India's two main religious traditions: the Puranic (mythological), which is theistic and believes in an external God, and the Vedic (Vedantic), which is truth-based and holds that the ultimate authority, the Atman, lies within. He argues that the majority of Hindus follow the Puranic tradition, which cultivates an acceptance of autocracy. Acharya Prashant concludes that for India to progress, it needs both worldly education in subjects like science and economics, and the inner education of Vedanta. This, he believes, will instill the self-confidence necessary for people to become their own masters rather than seeking an external ruler. He also addresses the cynicism among educated youth who, seeing a flawed system, choose to emigrate rather than take responsibility for reform, a phenomenon he observed among his peers who considered the US their "homeland."