Acharya Prashant responds to a question about losing one's individuality to societal pressures. He advises looking at the face of the common man on the street, as that is what the questioner will become if they continue on their current path. He describes this life as one of families in apartments, filled with constant bickering and daily struggles. He warns that this is their own future life, and if it is acceptable, they should continue, as they are already moving rapidly in that direction with little time left. He then details the predetermined story of this conventional life, which includes some studying, marriage, the maternity ward, and staying at home. It involves constant arguments over money, filling the house with furniture to keep up with others, and buying a house on loan. This life means watching oneself age in the mirror, seeing wrinkles appear, realizing the futility of it all, and then distracting oneself with television or shopping malls to feel that life has some meaning. The speaker explains that these purchases—a new shirt, a pressure cooker, a car—become excuses to keep going. This life involves putting on a false face for relatives, comparing oneself to others, and feeling trapped in a marriage because of children. He asserts this is not an imaginary tale but the real story of countless people. Acharya Prashant further describes the physical decline that accompanies this lifestyle: middle age, diseases, calcium deficiency, and cancer checks due to living in polluted cities. He points out the irony of having medical insurance because getting cancer is almost a certainty in such an environment. He describes the drudgery of working for a month just for a day's salary and the hierarchical pressures of the workplace. He then poses a challenge: "Can life be something other than this?" He assures that it can, but only if one has love for oneself. To change this story requires waking up, becoming conscious, and facing the fear and opposition that will arise. The new story, he says, will be unwritten, fresh, and beautiful. The choice and responsibility to write this new story or continue on the old path lie with the individual.