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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 05:11
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Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

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25% (medium)

Question Stats:

75% (01:45) correct 25% (01:51) wrong based on 720 sessions

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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much modern technology affords its users renders them dependent on this technology, and, more importantly, on the elaborate energy systems required to run it. This leads to a loss of self-sufficiency. Clearly, then, in addition to undermining life’s charm, much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the columnist’s argument?

(A) Physical labor is essential to a fulfilling life
(B) Self-sufficiency contributes to a person’s well-being
(C) People are not free if they must depend on anything other than their own capabilities
(D) Anything causing a loss in life’s charm is unjustifiable unless this loss is compensated by some gain
(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users

Source: LSAT
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B
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 05:47
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much modern technology affords its users renders them dependent on this technology, and, more importantly, on the elaborate energy systems required to run it. This leads to a loss of self-sufficiency. Clearly, then, in addition to undermining life’s charm, much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users.
Show more

Pre-thinking :
Modern technology leads to loss of self sufficiency.
Modern technology diminishes the overall well-being.
However, there is no co-relation shown between "self sufficiency" and "well-being".

(A) Physical labor is essential to a fulfilling life --> Incorrect, too extreme to be true
(B) Self-sufficiency contributes to a person’s well-being --> Correct, matches our pre-thinking and the assumption required for drawing the conclusion from the claim
(C) People are not free if they must depend on anything other than their own capabilities --> Out of scope
(D) Anything causing a loss in life’s charm is unjustifiable unless this loss is compensated by some gain --> Out of scope
(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users --> Though a contender, the option can not be an assumption, for the same has already been stated in the argument i.e, "much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users"

Hence, B.
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 05:53
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mm B was between A and B but B clearly creates a connection between the argument and the premise
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 08:45
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Quote:
Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much modern technology affords its users renders them dependent on this technology, and, more importantly, on the elaborate energy systems required to run it. This leads to a loss of self-sufficiency. Clearly, then, in addition to undermining life’s charm, much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users.
Show more

In an assumption question, start with identifying the conclusion, which is :
Modern technology does two ugly things:
  • undermines life’s charm.
  • decreases overall well-being of users of the technology

Supporting premise:
While modern technology may seem to offer some sort of relief to its users,
it is actually ironical that people are becoming more dependent on it with every
passing day. Also since users are now dependent on energy systems to run
the technology, they are becoming less self-sufficient.

Let's jump to PoE:

Quote:
(A) Physical labor is essential to a fulfilling life
Show more
Let's once review the chain of events here:
technology usage ->less self sufficient -> decrease in ( life's charm and overall wellness of its users)
If I negate (A)
Physical labor is NOT essential to a fulfilling life
Oops !! This does not undermine my conclusion. In fact argument says
relief from physical labor and using technology is actually making people less self-sufficient
and decreasing their wellness. Cross out this.

Quote:
(B) Self-sufficiency contributes to a person’s well-being
Show more
Let us negate this:
Self-sufficiency does not contribute to a person’s well-being
Hey I just broke the last link . Yup my conclusion is invalid. A valid assumption.

Quote:
(C) People are not free if they must depend on anything other than their own capabilities
Show more
Way out of scope of argument. Why do I at all need to assume this. Easy out

Quote:
(D) Anything causing a loss in life’s charm is unjustifiable unless this loss is compensated by some gain
Show more
Compensation of losses in life's charm by any sort of gain is way out of scope of argument and need not be assumed at all.

Quote:
(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users
Show more
Close , but not correct ans. Is this a MUST BE TRUE unstated premise for my conclusion to be valid?
Let's negate to find:
Technology inherently does not limit the well-being of its users.
Nope, does not do anything to conclusion. Remember, a correct negated choice must
SHATTER the conclusion.

generis nightblade354 gmatexam439 ammuseeru pikolo2510 Harshgmat
Please add your two cents to above reasoning.
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much Updated on: 17 Jul 2018, 09:08
Originally posted by abhinav770 on 17 Jul 2018, 08:59.
Last edited by abhinav770 on 17 Jul 2018, 09:08, edited 1 time in total.
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Great question!

Premise

Modern technology provides relief from the drudgery of physical labor, rendering such users dependent on the said technology. This leads to loss of self -sufficiency, which in turn diminishes the overall well-being of its users.

Conclusion

Loss of self -sufficiency diminishes well-being.

Assumption

Any answer choice which gives a causal relation between self-sufficiency and well being will sufficiently bridge the gap between the conclusion and the premise.

Let us understand the causality here, shall we?

People who use Modern technology => Are relieved from the drudgery of physical labor => Become dependent on modern technology => Lose self-sufficiency => (Undermining life's charm) AND (Overall well being)



nightblade354
Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much modern technology affords its users renders them dependent on this technology, and, more importantly, on the elaborate energy systems required to run it. This leads to a loss of self-sufficiency. Clearly, then, in addition to undermining life’s charm, much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the columnist’s argument?

(A) Physical labor is essential to a fulfilling life.
In a causal relationship if physical labor is essential to fulfilling life, then a lack of self-sufficiency does not necessarily imply diminishing well being. Well being may have more factors contributing to it than just physical labor. Logical inconsistency.

(B) Self-sufficiency contributes to a person’s well-being.
Sufficiently bridges the gap between the premise and the conclusion. Gives a causal relationship.

(C) People are not free if they must depend on anything other than their own capabilities.
Only those people are under the purview of the question who use modern technology to be relieved of the drudgery of physical labor. The people dependent on anything other than their capabilities is a set of people who are not the ones the question is concerned with.

(D) Anything causing a loss in life’s charm is unjustifiable unless this loss is compensated by some gain.
The passage doesn't imply just some random gain, it clearly specifies what kind of gain: relief from the drudgery of physical labor.

(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users.
Since the passage is concerned with modern technology, we cannot be sure of this to be the correct answer choice. More importantly, it jumps to the well-being aspect of the conclusion without touching up the part which mentions the reduction in self-sufficiency. This way the technology has a direct causal relationship with well being of its users, in a way, weakening the conclusion.

Source: LSAT

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Gotta hand me some of that lovely Kudos, don't you think? ;)
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 09:05
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Hey chickckens!
Yes, you are correct to go with answer choice (B). However, eliminating all other answer choices should be equally important when practicing questions. I welcome you to have a look at my answer to this question.

chickckens
mm B was between A and B but B clearly creates a connection between the argument and the premise
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 12:41
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Quote:
Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much modern technology affords its users renders them dependent on this technology, and, more importantly, on the elaborate energy systems required to run it. This leads to a loss of self-sufficiency. Clearly, then, in addition to undermining life’s charm, much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users.

In an assumption question, start with identifying the conclusion, which is :
Modern technology does two ugly things:
  • undermines life’s charm.
  • decreases overall well-being of users of the technology

Supporting premise:
While modern technology may seem to offer some sort of relief to its users,
it is actually ironical that people are becoming more dependent on it with every
passing day. Also since users are now dependent on energy systems to run
the technology, they are becoming less self-sufficient.

Let's jump to PoE:

Quote:
(A) Physical labor is essential to a fulfilling life
Let's once review the chain of events here:
technology usage ->less self sufficient -> decrease in ( life's charm and overall wellness of its users)
If I negate (A)
Physical labor is NOT essential to a fulfilling life
Oops !! This does not undermine my conclusion. In fact argument says
relief from physical labor and using technology is actually making people less self-sufficient
and decreasing their wellness. Cross out this.

Quote:
(B) Self-sufficiency contributes to a person’s well-being
Let us negate this:
Self-sufficiency does not contribute to a person’s well-being
Hey I just broke the last link . Yup my conclusion is invalid. A valid assumption.

Quote:
(C) People are not free if they must depend on anything other than their own capabilities
Way out of scope of argument. Why do I at all need to assume this. Easy out

Quote:
(D) Anything causing a loss in life’s charm is unjustifiable unless this loss is compensated by some gain
Compensation of losses in life's charm by any sort of gain is way out of scope of argument and need not be assumed at all.

Quote:
(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users
Close , but not correct ans. Is this a MUST BE TRUE unstated premise for my conclusion to be valid?
Let's negate to find:
Technology inherently does not limit the well-being of its users.
Nope, does not do anything to conclusion. Remember, a correct negated choice must
SHATTER the conclusion.

generis nightblade354 gmatexam439 ammuseeru pikolo2510 Harshgmat
Please add your two cents to above reasoning.
Show more

Dear adkikani

Please note that option E) is actually the conclusion stated in the question.

(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users

Last statement is - "much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users"

We need to find assumption which will support the above conclusion.

Hope this helps :-)
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 12:44
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adkikani
Quote:
Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much modern technology affords its users renders them dependent on this technology, and, more importantly, on the elaborate energy systems required to run it. This leads to a loss of self-sufficiency. Clearly, then, in addition to undermining life’s charm, much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users.

In an assumption question, start with identifying the conclusion, which is :
Modern technology does two ugly things:
  • undermines life’s charm.
  • decreases overall well-being of users of the technology

Supporting premise:
While modern technology may seem to offer some sort of relief to its users,
it is actually ironical that people are becoming more dependent on it with every
passing day. Also since users are now dependent on energy systems to run
the technology, they are becoming less self-sufficient.

Let's jump to PoE:

Quote:
(A) Physical labor is essential to a fulfilling life
Let's once review the chain of events here:
technology usage ->less self sufficient -> decrease in ( life's charm and overall wellness of its users)
If I negate (A)
Physical labor is NOT essential to a fulfilling life
Oops !! This does not undermine my conclusion. In fact argument says
relief from physical labor and using technology is actually making people less self-sufficient
and decreasing their wellness. Cross out this.

Quote:
(B) Self-sufficiency contributes to a person’s well-being
Let us negate this:
Self-sufficiency does not contribute to a person’s well-being
Hey I just broke the last link . Yup my conclusion is invalid. A valid assumption.

Quote:
(C) People are not free if they must depend on anything other than their own capabilities
Way out of scope of argument. Why do I at all need to assume this. Easy out

Quote:
(D) Anything causing a loss in life’s charm is unjustifiable unless this loss is compensated by some gain
Compensation of losses in life's charm by any sort of gain is way out of scope of argument and need not be assumed at all.

Quote:
(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users
Close , but not correct ans. Is this a MUST BE TRUE unstated premise for my conclusion to be valid?
Let's negate to find:
Technology inherently does not limit the well-being of its users.
Nope, does not do anything to conclusion. Remember, a correct negated choice must
SHATTER the conclusion.

generis nightblade354 gmatexam439 ammuseeru pikolo2510 Harshgmat
Please add your two cents to above reasoning.

Dear adkikani

Please note that option E) is actually the conclusion stated in the question.

(E) Technology inherently limits the well-being of its users

Last statement is - "much modern technology diminishes the overall well-being of its users"

We need to find assumption which will support the above conclusion.

Hope this helps :-)
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A word of caution, as (E) is not our conclusion. Modern technology and technology are not interchangeable. This is a key reason why (E) is not the correct answer.
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 17 Jul 2018, 19:23
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A word of caution, as (E) is not our conclusion. Modern technology and technology are not interchangeable. This is a key reason why (E) is not the correct answer.


nightblade354

noted :thumbup:

Critically reasoned :clap:
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 18 Jul 2018, 05:17
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Good job to all! Kudos were awarded to 2 people: sudarshan22 and abhinav770.

If anyone needs further clarification, please ask!
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 04 May 2020, 21:54
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A word of caution, as (E) is not our conclusion. Modern technology and technology are not interchangeable. This is a key reason why (E) is not the correct answer.


nightblade354

noted :thumbup:

Critically reasoned :clap:
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Adding to the explanation of (E), I would say that "Diminish" is totally different to "limit". Diminish does not mean limit and vice versa.

Therefore, when (E) is negated, it becomes "Technology inherently does not limits the well-being of its users". This leaves the possibility that Technology could diminish the well-being of its users. The conclusion then still holds true.
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Columnist: The relief from the drudgery of physical labor that much 28 Jun 2023, 22:48
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