Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:-
The prisoners in the concentration camps in World War-II had lost faith in the future. Being in the camp, I felt disgusted with the state of affairs and I forced my thoughts to turn to another subject. "Suddenly, I saw myself standing on the platform of a well-lit, warm and pleasant lecture room. In front of me, the attentive audience were seated in comfortable upholstered seats. I saw myself giving a lecture on hope, optimism, and resilience under difficult circumstances." Suddenly, all that oppressed me stopped giving me pain and distress. This practice was so impactful that I could succeed in rising above the situation and the sufferings of the moment."
The survivors of World War-II who were prisoners in the concentration camps had the common personality trait which consists of 'the three Cs', i.e. commitment, control and challenges. These traits are referred to as:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Hardiness
Option (1) Self-esteem — Incorrect. Self-esteem is the value judgement a person makes about herself/himself, high or low. It is one belief about the self, not the set of three Cs.
Option (2) Hardiness — Correct. Kobasa found that people with high levels of stress but low levels of illness share three characteristics, the personality traits of hardiness. It consists of ‘the three Cs’: commitment, control and challenge, a sense of personal commitment to what one does, a sense of control over one’s life and a feeling that change is a challenge. Such stress resistant people are the survivors the question describes.
Option (3) Assertiveness — Incorrect. Assertiveness is a life skill: the ability to communicate, with confidence, one’s feelings, needs, wants and thoughts, and to say ‘no’ to a request. It has nothing to do with the three Cs.
Option (4) Rational thinking — Incorrect. Rational thinking is a life skill of challenging distorted thinking and irrational beliefs and driving out anxiety-provoking thoughts. It is a way of handling stress, not the trait made of commitment, control and challenge.
NCERT (2025-26): “Promoting Positive Health and Well-being Stress Resistant Personality : Recent studies by Kobasa have shown that people with high levels of stress but low levels of illness share three characteristics, which are referred to as the personality traits of hardiness. It consists of ‘the three Cs’, i.e. commitment, control, and challenge. Hardiness is a set of beliefs about oneself, the world, and how they interact. It takes shape as a sense of personal commitment to what you are doing, a sense of control over your life, and a feeling of challenge.…” |