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Test - 2

Essay
Test Series
IAS - 2016

By - Manoj K. Jha
 TEST - 02

Roll. No. ______________________

ESSAY TEST SERIES 2016

Essay
Time Allowed: 1½ hrs. Max. Marks: 125

Instructions to Candidate

• Attempt one essay

• The test carries 125 marks.

• Write the essay in about 1000-1200 words.

• Any page left blank in the answer-book must be crossed out clearly.

(Examiner will pay special attention to the candidate's grasp of his/her material, its relevance
to the subject chosen, and to his/ her ability to think constructively and to present his/her
ideas concisely, logically and effectively).

Remarks

Name _______________________________

Mobile No.___________________________
1. Invigilator Signature _______________ Date ________________________________
2. Invigilator Signature _______________ Signature ____________________________
2

ESSAY TEST SERIES 2016

1. Success is not the key to happiness; happiness is the key to success.

2. If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the result of a
hundred battles.

Remarks
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1. Success is not the key to happiness; happiness is the key to success

• “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get”
W.P. Kinsella
• “The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.”
Bette Midler
• The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it’s all that matters.
Audrey Hepburn
• “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.”
Dalai Lama
• “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the
thrill of creative effort.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Approach:
This statement pertains to the relation between success and happiness and vice versa, a matter which
is the most important question of life for all human beings at all places. The answer is, however, not
very clear whether success leads to happiness or happiness leads to success- it can be interpreted both
ways. The statement can be examined in three ways (a) Happiness as natural corollary of success (b)
Success and happiness as dependent on each other and mutually reinforcing and (c) Success as
contradictory to happiness- that is if there is unlimited thrust on success, happiness is bound to
decrease. All of the underlying dimensions of the statement need examination, however as the
second part of the topic, viz., ‘happiness is the key to success’ is the essence of the statement and
the view is in chime with established wisdom; so ideally one should proceed to establish that happiness
is definitely the way to success and not the other way round. In such essays elaboration with
examples is needed. All of the possibilities could be seen in life, but finally the goal is to be happy
with whatever we do and whatever we have, because success is a very ticklish concept having
umpteen dimensions and interpretations and in real life aspiration for ‘mundane’ success is unending;
therefore, there must be contentment at a point where we make a conscious effort to live happily
rather than hankering for ‘more’ and ‘higher’ achievents (which are never ending).
Introduction:
Although it would be better if we know the origin of the subject of the essay, but there is no need
to worry if you do not know. The topic of the essay is taken from a quote of Albert Schweitzer who
says, ”Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are
doing, you will be successful”. In such an essay mentioning the origin of the topic or person who
quoted it along with full quote would be a good start as the context of the essay becomes much
clearer from the remaining part of the quote. It can help in getting whole perspective along with
building the content. But most of the time tracing the origin of the ‘theme’ or attributing the essay
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topic’s statement to right person is not possible. More widely available option is therefore, to directly
approach the topic of the essay or statement by interpreting various dimensions as reflected in the
words and their collective meaning and intent.
Discuss what success and happiness mean and how they are related and mutually reinforcing, when
and how they become contradictory and situations when happiness is not dependent on popular
meaning of success. How happiness is achieved and why it not only helps in success but also it is
interpreted as ‘ultimate’ success. Examples can be quoted from life of shepherds and boatmen,
leaders like Mahatma Gandhi who valued happiness more than success, spiritual people like Vivekanand
and Dalai Lama.
Main Body:
This part can be initiated with a debate that success is not only materialistic gain. Though it is
calculated using that but it is much more than that. True success is when it is complemented by
happiness.
This part can be approached by explaining how taking ‘success’ as end in itself without involving
‘happiness’ as a means to it or the ultimate goal would be futile. For Examples even if a person
achieves materialistic success by compromising on its human relations or ignoring family, friends and
relatives, then he would be alone at the end without any well wisher or companion to share his
success. This means dearth of happy moments and feelings, lack of love and warmth, loneliness- so
is said you are alone at the top! Success becomes an unbearable burden without happiness.
Also happiness requires that your mind is free from ‘regret’, ‘remorse’ or ‘sin’ for your deeds. Otherwise
your conscience would always stir you. It is a punishment that we get after achieving success from
wrong means. This snatches sense of fulfillment from us. And in the absence of a sense of fulfillment
we do not enjoy or relish our success.
Discuss how blind pursuit of success is also one of the causes of today’s distressed society and
stressed lifestyle. This can be elaborated with the help of examples from present day urban lives and
lifestyles in which everyone it chasing the materialistic achievements and living every moment of life
in tension and stress. Life is reduced to robotics of ‘setting’ and ‘achieving’ higher targets. Gripped
by fear of failure or somebody else ‘taking over’ always lurks. Happiness evaporates in such
circumstances. Cut throat completion and strategies, machinations, maneuvers, cunningness and
cleverness to outpace and defeat others become part of our existence- we become jackals. The cases
of ‘short cuts’ like giving and taking bribe, kickbacks, violating laws, involving in scams are all because
of ‘single minded’ pursuit of success without bothering how does it come.
Explain how happiness is as inevitable ingredient of true success. Any work done with jest and fervor
brings the best results in our lives whatever we do.
If we do a work we enjoy, it is said we do not feel like working even for a day. For such people end
results are not the determining factor. They continue to do what they like and what brings happiness
to them.Failures do not deter them. Examples of scientists Thomas Alva Edition, Einstein, music
composure Beetle and Walt Disney etc can be enumerated which were initially declared as failure but
they continued to do what they were in love, they did not try to be successful and at the end their
life journey become truly inspiration. They not only gave new breakthrough to the society but make
them as a role model.
Similarly it should be highlighted that happiness a positive state of mind which leads to improved
health, confidence, efficiency and it also shines through you for people to notice, thus your chances
of success become more real when you are happy and do the things with a positive frame of mind.
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The human civilization has realized the importance of happiness. The measuring rod of progress has
transitioned from material measurement (GDP and per capita GDP) to ‘Human Development Index’
or ‘Gross Happiness Index’. So you can also link how development measurement parameters of
counties are evolving. A measure like development of Happiness index by UN is more inclusive than
other indices like HDI. Therefore, for the sustainable growth of society and country, happiness of its
citizens is now being taken as more meaningful parameter rather than just economic growth.
Conclusion:
You can conclude it that it not ‘success’ rather than ‘being happy’ which ensures the sense of
satisfaction and wholeness not just at individual level but at the level of society and nation also. Joy,
love and sharing which involve ‘happiness’ as intrinsic factor can be the solution of today’s psycho-
social problems of the society. Love of doing things and creativity act as a propulsive force in creating
new breakthrough in different areas like science and art and take the humanity to newer heights.
Creating human machines which run after materialistic success will only end up in a distressed
society; it is the values, emotions and sense of being happy which make us human and could be a
way to sustainable and true success.
2. If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the result
of a hundred battles
• Fear is the only true enemy, born of ignorance and the parent of anger and hate.
Edward Albert
• Deterrence is the art of producing, in the mind of the enemy, the fear to attack.
Sterling Hayden
• Realists do not fear the result of their study. Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The more you know yourself, the more patience you have for what you see in others
Erik Erikson
• The better you know yourself, the better your relationship with the rest of the world
Toni Collette
• Human behaviour flows from three main sources: desire, emotions, and knowledge.
Plato
• Start by doing what’s necessary then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the
impossible. Francis of Assisi
• Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be
the truth. Arthur Conan Doyle
• Keep your face always towards the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you.
Walt Whitman
• Change your thought and you change your world. Norman Vincent
• Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself. George Bernard Shaw
• When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
Wayne Dyer

Approach:
This line reflects the individual’s strength, self-knowing, ability, firmness on right decision, morality
and values, strategic foresight, patience and poised attitude while dealing with any condition whether
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that will be war, personal goals, life situations, etc.
Being a conditional, and irrational in the nature - statement can be also related with the qualities of
planning, self-belief, confidence and the approach towards the success defined in various dimensions.
Introduction:
Introduce the topic with the description about self, and then proceed to explain self-awareness,
understanding of one’s capabilities and emotions.
Main Body:
As discussed in introduction, establish the statement by justifying it and the relevance of it with
dependence on conditions and human nature.
The essence is - you should be honest with your own-self and know the enemy better than he knows
you. Here, know yourself means, being aware of person’s strength, weaknesses and motivation measuring
in the SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and traits) analysis.
Individuals with the Accurate Self-Assessment competence are aware of their abilities and limitations,
seek out feedback and learn from their mistakes, and know where they need to improve and when
to work with others who have complementary strengths. Accurate Self-Assessment was the competence
found in virtually every “star performer”.
Further define the importance of understanding others or external forces. With a full knowledge one
can always win but with weak knowledge you can always fail.
Knowing the enemy enables you to take offensive and knowing yourself make stands as the defensive.
It helps in proper planning and taking calculative steps to meets the ends.
Explain the statement in details giving various examples and established that; know the real theme
of the enemy as find out advantage and disadvantage of it, as important to know your opponents’
strength and weakness as it is your own as stated in the approach.
Another meaning behind this quote aside from probabilities of winning a theoretical battle is the
importance of understanding others, in this sense battle is taken to mean any type of personal
conflict. It is the sense of developing emotional intelligence. It is important to identify how to handle
both superior and inferior forces.
 Explain the facts that, if one have fought and win a battle with someone without coming to a greater
understanding of that person, one will gain nothing even if he/she won the argument.  Similarly if
one has fought a battle where he gained a greater understanding of other person and his own, he
gained something greater than a mere win and the outcome of the battle itself is irrelevant.
This can be interpreted in spirituality context i.e. being aware about oneself brings peace and calmness
in life. This keeps the mind and soul fresh to be prepared for all unforeseen circumstances in life. As
the external forces cannot change but the internal enlightenment can be enhanced for self-empowerment.
However, this line also reveals a truth if we look for it. Every situation has advantages; the need is
only to understand this and so look for them. If one doesn’t look, he doesn’t find and so he may have
missed opportunities or advantages that were there for the taking.   Similarly, most of the times it is
offered to promote the idea that you will never be defeated or how to win every battle. However it
does not say this. The first sentence is the line most corrupted. The key words are “you need not
fear the result of a hundred battles”. This is very different to winning all your battles. One should
understand there are times a tactical withdrawal or retreat is the better part of a strategy and a perfect
tactic.

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In other words, risks are reduced to acceptable levels. And that’s the job of security.  It is not only a
good strategy but a basic security responsibility to perform threat and vulnerability assessments, keep
them current, and act on their findings. There are many aspects to this strategy. One of them is to
consider the psychological aspect of warfare. If your opponent fears you enough, you may not have
to fight a battle at all to obtain your objective. Another regards planning.

For an examples, implementing the plans and strategies appears on the real ground or battlefield, it
would be useless, person should know that, everything is based on the will of the Heaven, (here,
HEAVEN signifies, time and season, day and night, cold and heat).

Conclusion:

Conclude with the moral laws which rigorously enforced in which areas. Humans along with situational
facts and have recognized for a long time how important it is to know themselves. This is important
in every area of life, but its importance becomes much greater in a strategic context. ”If you know
your adversary, you’ll win half of the time. If you know yourself, you’ll win half of the time. If you
know yourself and your adversary, you’ll win most of the time. If you know neither your adversary
nor yourself, you’ll lose every time.”  Important to know, that to live life one must be out in the
world.  It is always better to experience a thing, then to regret the action not taken.

A decision to act only is going to be successful if the action is appropriate for the situation presented.
Having a quality strategy is very important, but being able to recognize the moment to strike and
execute various aspects of your strategy is a very important skill as well.

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