Acharya Prashant explains that fear is fundamentally linked to the waking state of the mind and the importance we assign to our thoughts. He points out that even the most fearful person becomes fearless during deep sleep because the mind is not active. Fear arises when we start thinking and, more importantly, when we mistake those thoughts for absolute truth. We tend to believe our thoughts are correct simply because they are ours, often using them to dominate others in arguments. However, this same tendency backfires when the mind turns its focus inward and suggests that we are in danger. If we accept the mind's positive assertions about ourselves as true, we are forced to accept its negative and fearful assertions as well. To overcome fear, Acharya Prashant suggests that one must stop taking themselves and their thoughts so seriously. He advises learning to laugh at oneself and recognizing that any thought produced by the mind is, at best, only partially true. He compares the mind to a talkative, attention-seeking child who constantly chatters. Just as one would listen to a child without taking their words as absolute gospel, one should observe the mind's thoughts without giving them undue weight. He warns that if we allow ourselves to be swept away by the happiness the mind provides, we will inevitably be swept away by the suffering and fear it creates, as the mind functions in duality.
