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CSAT 2023 paper

UPSC CSE CSAT 2023 · Question 61 · Reading comprehension

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical message implied by the above…

Directions for the following 4 (four) items: Read the following four passages and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only.

Passage—1

The paradox of choice is illustrated by the story of Buridan's ass. Jean Buridan, the 14th century philosopher, wrote about free will and the inability to choose due to numerous choices and uncertainties. In the story, a donkey stands between two equally appealing stacks of hay. Unable to decide which to eat, it starves to death. Changes in technology and innovations such as smart phones and tablets only exacerbate our glut of choices. Constant connectivity and overconsumption of real-time data and social media can leave little room for self-reflection and rest, making decisions more difficult. Life is about choices. Many people are overwhelmed with attractive life choices, yet find themselves unhappy and anxious.

CSAT 2023 · Q61

Reading comprehension Easy

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical message implied by the above passage?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) In our lives, having too few choices may not be a good thing, but having too many can be equally as difficult.

Buridan's ass starves between two equally good choices, and modern technology only adds to our glut of choices, leaving people overwhelmed, unhappy and anxious. The implied message is the paradox of choice: too many choices can be as troublesome as too few.

  • ✗ (a) Technology is said to worsen our glut of choices, not to weaken the structure of society.
  • ✗ (b) The passage is about the burden of too many attractive choices, not a life of endless uncertainty and difficulty in general.
  • ✗ (c) Other people's opinions and lack of courage are not discussed.
  • ✓ (d) People 'overwhelmed with attractive life choices, yet ... unhappy and anxious' show that an excess of choice brings its own difficulty — the paradox of choice.

Remember · When a passage opens with a named idea (here, the paradox of choice), the right option usually restates that idea.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

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