Acharya Prashant addresses the question of free thinking and free thinkers by first examining the nature of thought and the thinker. He posits that before discussing free thinking, one must be clear about what the thinker and thought are. He asks a counter-question: does the psychological self remain when one is not thinking, such as in deep meditation, deep sleep, or ecstasy? He explains that the psychological self does not remain without thought. Citing Descartes' "I think, therefore I am," he establishes that our sense of existence is tied to our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Therefore, the purpose of thought is to keep the thinker psychologically existent; it is a tool to defend the thinker. The speaker elaborates that the thinker is the one who is conflicted, and thought acts as a problem-solving mechanism, a sidekick to the thinker. He describes the thinker as a feeble entity that continuously requires the assistance of thought to exist. Remove thought, and the thinker falls. Consequently, the function of thought is to secure the thinker, which is the petty ego, rather than to seek Truth. Since the thinker is not a free entity, being bound by the need for self-preservation, its thoughts cannot be free either. All thought is an exercise in self-preservation, serving the interests of the little, petty ego. Acharya Prashant then discusses the social implications of this concept. He argues that even those who consider themselves free thinkers by rebelling against tradition are still operating within the confines of thought. This so-called free thinking is superior to dogmatic or conservative thought only in degree, not in dimension, as both are fundamentally the same. He introduces understanding or realization as a state that is qualitatively different from thinking. Understanding is silent and proceeds without an agent or a thinker. While thinking provides conclusions that strengthen the thinker, understanding leads to the dissolution of the thinker. The intention is crucial: if the goal is to defend the self, one will only arrive at conclusions. However, if the intention is to know and transcend the self, then understanding, and thus true freedom, can be attained.