Acharya Prashant begins by addressing the questioner's notion that a life without desire, hope, and anxiety is a peaceful one. He clarifies that this idea is not something he has said, but rather a common concept from religions and traditions that the questioner has been carrying in their mind. He states that he has consistently said that one is thirsty for change and that desire is something one surely wants. The issue, he explains, is that what one truly wants cannot be given by hope or the future, because hope is always situated in time. The speaker critiques the traditional spiritual advice to "not desire, don't hope, and remain settled" as a very beaten and hollow line. He suggests that people cling to this weak argument because it serves as a convenient, weak adversary. By defining spirituality as the negation of desire, one can easily trash the argument and, by extension, dismiss all of spirituality as rubbish. He emphasizes that he has never advocated for dropping desire, as one *is* desire, and the desire to drop desire is just another desire. Instead of dropping it, he urges a deep investigation into its roots. Acharya Prashant's core message is to understand desire, not to condemn or suppress it. He advises, "Don't be so stupid that you don't even know what you are desiring. Please, look carefully at your desire. Go close to it. Find out why you desire so much." He describes desire as a "wonderful messenger" that indicates something needs to change. When a desire arises, it should be treated with utmost seriousness, as it comes from the heart. The path is to go to the root of all wanting—our jobs, relationships, and entertainments. He explains that the fundamental human contradiction is being small yet needing to contain infinities. This is why the mind starts wanting in the first place. Man is a tiny, measurable being, yet he is destined to feel the gap between his smallness and the immensity he craves. This dissatisfaction is inherent to being human. The challenge and invitation of life is to overcome this contradiction. The drop must contain the ocean. This realization, he says, is what is meant by "Aham Brahmasmi" (I am Brahman).