What Arendt does for us is to remind us that our “publicness” is as important to our flourishing as our sociability and our privacy. She draws a distinction between what it means to act “socially” and what is means to act “politically.” The social realm for Arendt is both the context where all our basic survival needs “are permitted to appear in public” and also the realm of “behaviour.” One of the things she fears about modern societies is that society – focused on how we behave and what we will permit for ourselves and others – becomes the realm of conformism. This is worrying not just because we don’t really get vibrant societies out of conformism and sameness, but also, Arendt says because there is a risk that we think this is all there is to our living together. We lose ourselves in the tasks of managing behaviour and forget that our true public task is to act, and to distinguish ourselves in doing so. The risk, says Arendt, is therefore that we confuse behaviour with action, that in modern liberal societies “behaviour replaces action as the foremost mode of human relationship.” This confusion can happen in any area of our modern lives and institutions, secular or faith-based. None is immune.
Arendt wants to drive home the point that the healthy public life requires that we do not just see ourselves as social actors but also as fully public persons, committed to judging and acting as members of a common world we want to inhabit and pass on. Arendt tells us that public action is action in which we stand out, are individuated, become in some way excellent in a manner that is of service to others and a greater good. This is the space where we take risks, subject our common life to scrutiny, seek justice (that sometimes requires us to transgress what seem like accepted laws) in order to be increasingly open to the claims and needs of other humans – ones who are not our household and our kin.
According to the passage, who can be BEST categorised as a “public person”?
- A wildlife photographer who highlighted the plight of poverty-stricken migrants by posting their pictures.
- An online fraud victim who ran a campaign against online fraudsters.
- An NGO employee who was tasked to lead a campaign against tribal land acquisition.
- A parent who organized protests against the random fee hike by a local school.
- A local politician who filed RTI applications to unearth financial scams by a village panchayat.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The passage distinguishes between behaviour in society (guided by acceptance and conformity) and public action, which is performed for a broader cause that goes beyond one’s personal interest.
A “public person” is therefore someone who acts in a way that brings awareness to or supports causes affecting society at large, irrespective of immediate personal gain or direct obligation.
Step 1: Analyse each option
- Option 1: The photographer draws attention to migrants’ suffering through his work. This goes beyond personal need, and directly serves a larger social cause → Fits the definition of a public person.
- Option 2: The fraud victim’s campaign is based on personal experience, so the primary motive is self-protection and justice, not broader public action.
- Option 3: The NGO employee is only assigned a role as part of their job, so it is a duty rather than a public-spirited action.
- Option 4: The parent is fighting against fee hikes, but mainly for personal benefit and local community impact, not broad public engagement.
- Option 5: The politician’s RTI work may seem like public action, but it is heavily tied to political motives rather than pure public spirit.
Step 2: Conclusion
The wildlife photographer’s initiative is purely a public action, raising awareness for society, without direct personal benefit. This best fits the idea of a “public person.”
Hence, the correct answer is Option (1).
Based on the passage, which of the following options BEST describes “public action”?
- Acting based on our core beliefs while being mindful of what society thinks
- Acting for a just cause regardless of what society thinks about it
- Acting in a way that is perceived to be anti-social
- Acting based on our conviction regardless of what society thinks
- Acting in a way that is seen as acceptable to the society
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage distinguishes between behaviour and public action. - Behaviour is shaped by societal approval and the need to be accepted by others. - Public action, however, arises when an individual or group acts beyond these social expectations, motivated by a just cause.
Public action is not about conformity (Option 5) or being anti-social (Option 3). It is also not just following convictions blindly (Option 4), nor a compromise between beliefs and social approval (Option 1). Instead, it is a deliberate act in the public domain, for justice or truth, even if society initially disapproves of it.
Therefore, the best description is Option (2): Acting for a just cause regardless of what society thinks about it.
Which of the following is the BEST reason for focusing on behaviour instead of acting in public?
- Our focus is to survive and not to flourish
- The foundation of any vibrant society is based on cooperation and not confrontation
- We are dependent on each other, leading to focus on what is accepted by others
- Our fear of being called out on our imperfect thoughts leads us to behave
- To survive is not to distinguish ourselves from others
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Human behaviour in public is largely guided by the fact that we are social beings and rely heavily on one another for survival, growth, and progress. Because of this dependency, individuals instinctively focus more on behaviour—that is, how their actions align with what society accepts—rather than acting entirely on personal impulses.
- Option 1: Survival alone does not explain why we align behaviour to social norms. It is too limited.
- Option 2: Cooperation is important, but this option speaks about society in general, not why individuals personally focus on behaviour.
- Option 3: Correct — since we are dependent on others, our behaviour adapts to social approval and shared acceptance, ensuring smoother coexistence.
- Option 4: Fear of criticism can explain part of it, but it is not the fundamental reason.
- Option 5: This is vague and does not directly address the question of behaviour in public.
Hence, the best explanation is that our interdependence makes us align our behaviour with what is socially acceptable.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
As of 2009, there are 890 World Heritage Sites that are located in 148 countries (map). 689 of these sites are cultural and include places like the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Historic Center of Vienna in Austria. 176 are natural and feature such locations as the U.S.’s Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks. 25 of the World Heritage Sites are considered mixed i.e. natural and cultural Peru’s Machu Picchu is one of these. Italy has the highest number of World Heritage Sites with 44. India has 36 (28 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed) World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage Committee has divided the world’s countries into five geographic zones which include (1) Africa, (2) Arab States, (3) Asia Pacific (including Australia and Oceania), (4) Europe and North America and (5) Latin America and the Caribbean.
WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN DANGER
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