In anticipation of the coming year, Tecumseh Autos, a national auto ma

Hi Mike,

Going through your comments on why C should be the answer. Isn't C an inference and not an assumption? What C says is something that can already be inferred from the information provided above.

Dear modarresansharif,

I'm happy to respond.

My friend, I don't believe you were reading (C) carefully enough. Think about it:
(C) Last year, no other [single individual] category of Tecumseh’s vehicles generated more profits than SUVs AND less than minivans.
It's very important to recognize the word "category" is singular, and it is very important to recognize the significance of an "and" rather than an "or." Of course it's true, as you say, that every other category has profits that are either greater than SUVs or less than minivans. That's absolutely true, but that's not what (C) is saying.

If we read (C) carefully, it is saying that no single individual category has a profit that is simultaneously both greater than SUVs and less than minivans. In other words, there is no category that ranks between those two in terms of profit. This is absolutely true, because SUV are #2 and minivans are #3.

Now, my friend, I want to consider how you addressed this question. Your opening comment was "I believe the question is wrong." This could be construed as disrespectful. Think about the following scenario. Suppose, after you get your MBA, you are hired at some job. Suppose you observe something associated with the company that looks like an error to you. If you go into your boss's office and begin by saying "I believe this is wrong," and then it turns out, as with this question, you misinterpreted something, think about the opinion this boss will have of you. Nobody else likes to be told "You are wrong," and if someone say this and then it turns out to have no basis, it is as if that person insulted someone for no reason. If someone does this, other people's respect or that person will tend to drop off quickly.

You see, traditional religious and ethic systems say that humility is a virtue precisely because humility is an extraordinarily powerful strength that can help you in an astonishing number of ways in life. The humble person who says, "Perhaps it is due to my mistake, but this doesn't make sense to me" is in a win-win scenario. If the matter in question is really correct, this humble attitude makes someone else more apt to explain it and clarify the matter. If the matter is really wrong, the humble person gets all the credit for pointing out the mistake as well as the personal respect for doing so humbly. There are few personality traits that will open more doors or impress more people than will genuine humility.

Furthermore, just in terms of pure pedagogy, your mind is more primed to learn when you are in genuine questioning mode. To the extent that you adopt the "this is wrong" mindset, you shut down curiosity and openness to new perspectives. Curiosity and openness to learning are also powerful skills that should not be underestimated: they also have the potential to assist you powerful in a number of venues in your life, including in GMAT preparation. They are definitely the best mindsets to cultivate if you want to learn the most.

My friend, does all this make sense?
Mike

Hello Mike....One question here..

Why are we assuming that the order of the profitability is in descending order...compact cars, minivans, and SUVs. It can be in ascending order as well right.
I understand.. choice c is winner in that case as well. As we cannot have a vehicle category with profitability more than max and less than min of the three in order.Just want to understand if i am missing something here.

Kindly explain.

Dear Mr McGarry

May I kindly clarify a point: In option C, does the word "profits" necessarily imply in the second part of the sentence i.e. less than minivans?

I did not pick this answer choice as it seem to indicate anything can be 'less than minivans'. Maybe I am just reading too much into this.

I will be grateful for your guidance.

Best wishes,
Hamant