The keynote that seems to be emerging from the passage is that
- (a) we should first consult wisely and then resolve firmly ✓ UPSC's answer
- (b) we should reject suggestions of friends and remain unchanged
- (c) we should always remain broad-minded
- (d) we should be resolute and achievement-oriented
Why the answer is (a)
• The passage contrasts ineffective behaviors (hesitation, fluctuating opinions) with the specific sequence required for success: consulting wisely, resolving firmly, and executing with perseverance.
• The final sentence explicitly states that only the man who 'first consults wisely, then resolves firmly and then executes his purpose' can advance to eminence.
• Option (a) directly captures the initial and critical steps of this prescribed method for achieving eminence.
• Therefore, the keynote is the importance of the process of wise consultation followed by firm resolution.
Why the other options are wrong
- (b) we should reject suggestions of friends and remain unchanged
- The passage advises against being changed by the 'first counter-suggestion' of a friend, not rejecting all suggestions or remaining unchanged in a general sense.
- (c) we should always remain broad-minded
- The passage emphasizes firm resolution and perseverance, which is distinct from the general trait of being broad-minded.
- (d) we should be resolute and achievement-oriented
- While resoluteness is mentioned, option (a) is more precise as it includes the specific prerequisite of 'consulting wisely' which is central to the passage's argument for effective action.
Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.