Read the given passage and answer the four questions that follow.
It's essential to focus on what you control, especially when life feels difficult. This mindset is often overshadowed by the flood of information we consume daily. For instance, I spent 30 minutes this morning going down a rabbit hole after reading about Bitcoin. I ended up lost in unrelated Wikipedia pages.
Stoicism teaches us that time is our most valuable resource. While it's nice to know many things, most of the information we consume has little real value. We waste time on trivial pursuits, like reading negative news, stalking social media profiles, or watching shows just to "kill time." Why kill something so precious?
We're quick to get upset by things we can't control. Responding to every little thing we encounter is a habit. But true happiness comes from accepting that we don't control most things. Worrying about global issues like recessions, wars, or natural disasters is unproductive. Indifference to things outside our control is the key to happiness.
Happiness comes from meaningful activities: good friendships, enjoyable work, reading thought-provoking books, walking in nature, working out, or watching a great movie. For example, a recent Saturday was fulfilling because I spent time reading, writing, walking, and enjoying meals with family.
Contrast that with another day when I got caught up in negative conversations about COVID. The negativity drained me, and I accomplished nothing useful. Things are the way they are. The best we can do is focus on what matters and how we spend our time.
Choose the best option to complete the sentence:-
Practicing indifference to uncontrollable things helps to achieve ______.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Fulfilling and lasting happiness
The passage says that true happiness comes from accepting that we don't control most things, and it ends that paragraph with the line that indifference to things outside our control is the key to happiness. So practising indifference to what we cannot control helps us reach fulfilling and lasting happiness.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Better focus on global events — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage calls worrying about global issues like recessions and wars unproductive. Indifference turns our attention away from such events, not towards them.
Option 3: Improved emotional reactivity — Incorrect. Contradicted: reactivity means the habit of reacting quickly and strongly to things. The passage criticises being quick to get upset and responding to every little thing; indifference reduces reactivity, it does not improve it.
Example: Meditation helped her control her emotional reactivity during exams.
Option 4: A deeper knowledge of issues — Incorrect. Contradicted: the writer says most of the information we consume has little real value; gaining more knowledge of issues is not what indifference brings.