Every human being needs a sense of stable identity to operate in this world. Questions like — Who am I? How am I different from others? How do others understand and comprehend me? What goals and aspirations should I have? – constantly crop up in our life right from childhood. We are able to answer many of these questions because of the way in which we are socialized, or taught how to live in society by our immediate families and our community in various senses. The socialization process involves a continuous dialogue, negotiation, and even struggle against significant others (those directly involved in our lives) like our parents, family, kin group, and our community. Our community provides us with the language (our mother tongue) and the cultural values through which we comprehend the world. It also anchors our self-identity.

From the following option, which one best differentiates a nation from a community?

The creation of a state is based on national identity, rather than community identity.

The correct answer is Option 3: The criterion that comes closest to distinguishing a nation from a community is the creation of a state based on national identity, rather than community identity. This option best differentiates a nation from a community by highlighting the creation of a state based on national identity as a defining characteristic of a nation. While communities may share cultural values and a sense of identity, a nation often involves a political dimension, where people with a common national identity aspire to form a state. This emphasizes the political and territorial aspects associated with the concept of a nation.

• Option 1 is partially correct. While a nation is indeed a political identity, it is not the desire to be part of the same political collectivity that distinguishes it from a community. Communities can also have political identities, but they do not necessarily aspire to form their own state.

• Option 2 is also partially correct. While a nation does have the desire for political unity, this desire is not what makes it a nation. A nation is a group of people who share a common language, culture, history, and ancestry. The desire for political unity is simply one of the many factors that can contribute to the formation of a nation.