QUESTION 6(a)
GS4
10 marks
“An unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates. What does this quotation mean to you?
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Explain what Socrates' 'unexamined life' quote means to you.
What does it mean to youAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: reflection on values, beliefs and actions gives life meaning≈30 words
- 2Personal: self-assessment, learning from mistakes≈30 words
- 3Public service: reflective practice, questioning routine and bias≈30 words
- 4Balance: reflection should lead to action≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
MeaningPersonal viewPublic service applicationConclusion
Where marks usually go
- No personal angle
- No application
Draw this
- Cycle: act → reflect → improve
Value addition
- SourceSocrates said this at his trial, as recorded in Plato's Apology.Plato, Apology
- ThinkerGandhi's daily self-examination and his autobiography 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth'.M.K. Gandhi
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Apala Mishra · Page 15 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗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.