Read the passage and answer the following question.
Life often poses certain circumstances that compel us to take the wrong way and tell a lie. We tend to become dishonest in certain situations. Once a person realizes that they can get away with a misdeed by lying, they tend to be dishonest again and again. Initially, it is indeed very tempting; however, in the grand scheme of things, the truth and the truth alone finds its way to glory.
All of us commit mistakes; nobody is perfect. One may find oneself in a very confused position in life that requires one to lie. It is very tough always to maintain an honest posture. However, one is forgivable if one realizes one’s misdeeds over time.
An inherently unwise person would repeatedly suppress the voice within themselves that asks them to tread a path of honesty. For their petty gains, they would resort to dishonesty. Such a deliberate attempt to tone down one’s inner voice to repeatedly falsify facts is not worth forgiving. Nor is it of any benefit, because the truth always finds its way into the light.
There is one difference between being deliberately dishonest and telling white lies. White lies are lies that we all tell once in a while to get out of awkward situations we are put in. White lies do not have any casualties; they are harmless. White lies have no significant bad impact on the one who tells them or the one who hears them. They are justifiable.
According to the passage, why do people resort to dishonesty?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → For their selfish interests
The passage says that an unwise person lies “For their petty gains”.
- Petty means small and unimportant. Gains are things a person gets for himself or herself.
- So such people lie to get small benefits for themselves. That is lying for selfish interests.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: For charity — Incorrect. Opposite meaning: Charity means helping others in need. The passage says people lie for their own gains, not to help others.
Option 2: Out of fear of punishment — Incorrect. Not mentioned: The passage does not talk about punishment. It says people lie to gain something.
Option 3: For the good of the community — Incorrect. Opposite meaning: The gains in the passage are “their” gains. The liar thinks only of himself or herself, not of the community.