People who take what others regard as a ridiculous position
should not bother to say, “I mean every word!” For
either their position truly is ridiculous, in which case
insisting that they are serious about it
only exposes them to deeper embarrassment,
or else their position has merit, in which case they
should meet disbelief with rational argument
rather than with assurances of their sincerity.
Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above?
(A) A practice that has been denounced as a poor practice should not be defended on the grounds that “this is how we have always done it.” If the practice is a poor one, so much the worse that it has been extensively used; if it is not a poor one,
there must be a better reason for engaging in it than inertia. - CORRECT. 'Must be a better reason' is somewhat equal to 'rational argument', not sure how.
(B) People who are asked why they eat some of the unusual foods they eat should not answer, “because that is what I like.” This sort of answer will
sound either naive or evasive and
thus will satisfy no one. - WRONG. Changes the direction from defender's point of view.
(C) People whose taste in clothes is being criticized should not reply, “Every penny I spent on these clothes I earned honestly.” For the issue raised by the critics is not how the money was come by
but rather whether it was spent wisely. - WRONG. Changes the context of the passage.
(D) Scholars who champion unpopular new theories
should not assume that the widespread rejection of their ideas shows that they “must be on the right track.” The truth is that few theories of any consequence are either wholly right or wholly wrong and thus
there is no substitute for patient work in ascertaining which parts are right. - WRONG. Altogether changes the structure.
(E) People who set themselves goals that others denounce as overly ambitious do little to silence their critics if they say, “I can accomplish this if anyone can.” Rather, those people
should either admit that their critics are right or
not dignify the criticism with any reply. - WRONG. Trap as it uses first person approach to disguise.
It was between A and E.
Answer A.
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Pain + Reflection = Progress | Ray Dalio
Good Books to read prior to MBA