Acharya Prashant responds to a question about why he left a conventional career path after achieving success by getting into an IIT, an IIM, and the civil services. He begins by humbly stating that his academic and other achievements have been portrayed as bigger than they actually are. He explains that the desire to achieve anything significant, such as getting into an IIT or IIM, stems from a fundamental human urge to reach the 'top of life' and attain the 'highest possible'. This drive manifests as a pursuit of a good career, money, fame, recognition, and social status, none of which he deems wrong. However, Acharya Prashant delves deeper, asserting that no worldly or quantifiable achievement can ever provide complete satisfaction. He describes this inherent lack of satisfaction as the very 'mark of humanness'. This discontentment is what drives every individual to constantly seek something higher. He identifies the fundamental nature of consciousness as being dissatisfied, or 'atripta chetana'. This constant search for something more is a universal human story. He clarifies that his life path is not a deviation or a dramatic change of heart, but a natural progression and a continuous rising. His journey has been a long, convoluted search for the 'next better thing,' a process of continuous movement. He was a voracious reader from a young age, but without a mentor, his journey to find the highest was long and arduous. This quest ultimately led him to Vedanta, which he describes as the highest purpose of life—true, pure, and direct spirituality. He sees his current work not as a departure from his past but as the culmination of his search, allowing him to share the 'best thing' he has found.