QUESTION 6(c)
GS4
10 marks
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies. — Aristotle.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Explain why mastering one's own desires is a greater courage than defeating enemies, and its value in public life.
ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: external enemies are visible and finite; desires (greed, anger, ego) are internal and constant, so self-control is harder≈30 words
- 2Aristotle's link: temperance as a virtue built by habit; virtue as the mean between excess and deficiency≈30 words
- 3Public life: resisting bribes, power, flattery and anger; impartial decisions≈30 words
- 4Indian parallels: sthitaprajna of the Gita, Buddhist self-conquest; building it through discipline and reflection≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
MeaningAristotle's virtue ethicsPublic service temptationsIndian parallelsHow to cultivate
Where marks usually go
- Treating it as physical bravery
- No link to Aristotle's idea of virtue as habit
Draw this
- Diagram: outer battle (enemies) vs inner battle (desires) with the virtue that wins each
Value addition
- TextDhammapada (verse 103): greater than conquering a thousand men in battle is conquering oneself.Dhammapada
- TextBhagavad Gita (Chapter 2) describes the sthitaprajna, one steady in wisdom and free of desire.Bhagavad Gita
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.