Acharya Prashant explains that modern education focuses almost entirely on external objects like mathematics, science, and technology, while completely neglecting the 'subject'—the self. He points out that while students study various disciplines, they are never taught to understand who they are. This external focus creates a habit of looking outward for validation and knowledge, making the study of the self seem surprising or new. He emphasizes that understanding the mechanics of one's own mind is far more essential than any external knowledge because, without the self, such knowledge has no utility.