A questioner expresses her distress, which arises from two conflicting feelings. On one hand, the awareness of life's impermanence makes her restless and fearful, creating a desire to do something meaningful. On the other hand, since she is unclear about what is truly meaningful, her mind defaults to worldly desires like getting a better job or getting married, as her mother also wishes. She feels a great deal of ambiguity and resistance within herself regarding these desires. Acharya Prashant explains that the desires she is experiencing are not her own but are the product of social conditioning. He points out the flawed logic in her thinking: because she doesn't know what to do, she feels she should do what the world tells her to do. He states that when the mind is restless about life's meaning, it turns to what it has been taught by society, family, and media. He questions the value of seeking social prestige, asking in whose eyes she wants this prestige. He argues that seeking validation from people who are themselves living in unconsciousness is meaningless, just as a drunkard's praise is worthless. He further deconstructs the desire for marriage, asking the questioner to first define what marriage means to her, implying that she is acting without clarity. He highlights the contradiction in her not wanting to live a life like her mother's, yet being willing to follow her advice on such a crucial decision. He explains that this is because she has not sought guidance from those whose lives are worth emulating, like the great masters, and instead listens to the conditioned people around her. Acharya Prashant concludes that we are all victims of 'illiteracy' when it comes to life and lack a culture of genuine knowing and understanding. He advises that the first step is to feel shame for this ignorance—not for not knowing, but for being arrogant in one's ignorance. He emphasizes that one must not act without first having clarity and understanding. He asks, 'Why do you do what you do?' and suggests that if the only answer is conditioning, then that action is not worth pursuing.