Acharya Prashant explains that the true meaning of companionship is the influence one has on another. If your presence helps calm another's mind, removes their ignorance, and deepens their awareness, then staying together is beneficial. He cites the example of Guru Nanak Dev, who advised a village of virtuous people to scatter so they could spread their goodness, while advising a village of conflict-ridden people to stay together. The only valid measure for companionship is whether your presence leads others toward peace and enlightenment. If your presence causes another to fall into lower states of consciousness, it is selfish to remain bound to them. In the context of families, Acharya Prashant notes that a person might stay with their family out of genuine love and for the spiritual upliftment of the members. In such a case, staying is a religious act, and the person is essentially a renunciate even while living in a family. However, most families stay together not out of love, but out of fear and selfishness. People often prefer a 'certain misery' over the 'uncertainty' of being alone. They fear social stigma, loss of property, or the unpredictability of the future. Such families are held together by the glue of fear rather than love, which is harmful to all members. He concludes that no institution like family or marriage is inherently good or bad; its quality depends on the individuals involved. A person of high consciousness, like the Buddha, creates a 'Sangha' or a spiritual family based on compassion and the sharing of truth. The greatest householder is the Divine, who sustains the entire universe without wanting anything in return. Only those who are ready to give and serve the welfare of others should enter domestic life. Those who are still seekers or beggars of needs should practice solitude until they have something of value to share.