Acharya Prashant explains that he had no special inclination towards engineering. Instead, he was driven by a clear dissatisfaction with the state of the world and the ignorance he observed. Having read about the great figures in science, technology, sports, politics, and the freedom struggle, he felt their work was unfinished. This, combined with his firsthand experience of the world's lovelessness and treachery, hurt him as a sensitive child. He felt a strong need for things to change. In his limited knowledge during the late 80s and early 90s, he believed the Civil Services, particularly the IAS, was the primary avenue for bringing about social change. This idea was also influenced by having bureaucrats in his family. He amusingly recounts his logic at the time: observing that most UPSC toppers were from the IITs, he concluded that to become an IAS officer, he first needed to get into an IIT. This was the sole reason he chose the PCM stream, despite having a greater love for subjects like biology, history, geography, and especially Hindi. He clarifies that while the path (IIT to IAS) was borrowed, the dream of bringing about change was his own and still lives on. The core dream, he states, is for people to become better individuals, which in turn would transform systems, the economy, education, politics, and technology. He believes this dream is materializing, as he sees thousands of lives changing, even if it isn't making headlines. He contrasts the high financial stakes of modern education, which can reduce one's risk appetite, with his own journey. He emphasizes that one must know what is truly valuable to oneself, beyond what the market prices. This self-knowledge is the touchstone of all value. When one is engaged in the right work, it becomes an all-consuming passion that dictates the future, leaving no room for the question, "What next?"