Acharya Prashant explains that human actions, even seemingly charitable ones like giving alms, are often driven by hidden ego and the desire for self-gratification. He points out that if one expects gratitude or feels superior after helping, it is not true help but an inflation of the ego. Intelligence, he asserts, lies in recognizing these subtle games of the mind at the very moment they occur. By acknowledging one's own selfishness in an act of charity, one begins to separate from the mind and becomes a master of oneself. He critiques the tendency to label oneself as 'kind' or 'heroic' instead of seeing the underlying ego that persists even when we are unaware of it.
