Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the declining value of classic literature in favor of shallow, popular content. He explains that this phenomenon is an outcome of a certain philosophy of life, a utilitarian one where everything must have a material utility. In this view, a book is merely a medium to a destination, and if the destination is all that matters, the journey or the narrative should be as short as possible. Consequently, elements like character development and slow-paced narratives are seen as a nuisance. The speaker identifies the central god of this age as consumption, which has led to books being written in a presentation-like format with bullet points, as people no longer appreciate the beauty of language. This is not just a literary crisis but a crisis of the entire way of life. He further elaborates that the ideal of consumption exists to please us, as human beings are pleasure-loving. We attempt to address our inner hollowness, loneliness, and meaninglessness through consumption. The crucial question to ask is whether this method is actually working and if our contentment levels are rising. The speaker suggests that the modern individual is worse off in terms of inner fulfillment compared to their forefathers. We must question if our inner void is truly being filled by the methods we adopt. To break this cycle, one must courageously and compassionately keep asking if the methods being used are yielding the desired results of inner peace and fulfillment. When asked how to differentiate between genuine and false sources of enlightenment, Acharya Prashant advises being more lovingly selfish and calculative with our one life and its limited moments. One must constantly ask what they are getting out of any experience, be it reading a book, watching a movie, or taking a medicine. Without this self-inquiry, we are bound to repeat the same experiences, as the mainstream culture aggressively sells them. The speaker emphasizes that we are the best judge of what works for us. By reflecting on whether we are truly better off after consuming something, we can discern its value. He concludes by stating that the path to freedom is a long process, requiring patience and a desperate vigor, and that a fundamental, cataclysmic change is needed in who we are as a people, affecting our politics, education, and all other spheres of life.