Acharya Prashant responds to a question about the trend of people proudly calling themselves "dropouts" as a badge of honor. He labels this phenomenon as "rustic swag" and notes that this trend has now completely gripped India. He explains that what was once a matter of shame, such as being uneducated or rustic, has now become a matter of swag. People now boast, "Look, I am not educated, but see how much power I have today." Their unique selling proposition has become their lack of education, which they see as a testament to their success. Acharya Prashant calls this an insult to knowledge. He elaborates that people reach such positions of power because those who elevate them are also ignorant. In a democracy, people vote for those who are like them. This trend extends to spirituality, where individuals proudly claim, "I have never read any book, I have never read any scripture." Acharya Prashant asserts that this should be a matter of shame, not pride. If one hasn't read, they should take a few years to study, even if it means hiding their face. However, not having read anything has become a "badge of honor." This is so pervasive that even those with some education hide it to appear completely illiterate, as there is a certain glamour in it. This attitude is prevalent in entrepreneurship, politics, and among spiritual leaders. To counter this, Acharya Prashant presents data showing that the average life expectancy in India has more than doubled since independence, from around 27 years to 70-75 years, a feat he attributes to science and education, not blessings. He highlights the millions of lives saved by scientific inventions like anesthesia, pasteurization, and antibiotics. He also shows data on the drastic reduction in child mortality rates, especially in low-income countries, thanks to science. He points out the irony that the biggest beneficiaries of science and education—women and the poor—are often the most superstitious and neglectful of these fields. He concludes that it is science and education that have kept us alive, and we should be grateful to them rather than promoting the "rustic swag" of being uneducated.