Which one of the following habits is found more often in good people ?
- (a) Mixing up the true and false
- (b) Intentional mixing up of truth with the false ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) Falsification of facts
- (d) Complete concealment of truth
Why the answer is (b)
• The passage states that even the most truthful people tell many 'semantic lies'.
• It defines these semantic lies as the use of words containing 'some measure of falsehood'.
• Crucially, the passage specifies that this falsehood is 'more or less deliberate'.
• This aligns with the concept of intentionally mixing truth with falsehood (semantic lies) rather than complete concealment or random mixing.
• Therefore, the habit found more often in good people is the intentional mixing up of truth with the false.
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) Mixing up the true and false
- The passage specifies that the lies are 'more or less deliberate', which contradicts the accidental nature implied by 'mixing up'.
- (c) Falsification of facts
- The passage refers to 'semantic lies' involving the use of words, not the broader or more severe act of 'falsification of facts'.
- (d) Complete concealment of truth
- The passage describes lies that contain 'some measure of falsehood' (semantic), not the total 'complete concealment of truth'.
Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021, held on 10 October 2021. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.