Comprehension

Some psychologists and sociologists believe that psychopathy can be an asset in business and politics and that, as a result, psychopathic traits are overrepresented among successful people. This would be a puzzle if it were so. If our moral feelings evolved through natural selection, then it shouldn‘t be the case that one would ourish without them. And, in fact, the successful psychopath is probably the exception. Psychopaths have certain de cits. Some of these are subtle. The psychologist Abigail Marsh and her colleagues nd that psychopaths are markedly insensitive to the expression of fear. Normal people recognize fear and treat it as a distress cue, but 13 psychopaths have problems seeing it, let alone responding to it appropriately. Other de cits run deeper. The overall lack of moral sentiments—and speci cally, the lack of regard for others—might turn out to be the psychopath‘s downfall. We non-psychopaths are constantly assessing one another, looking for kindness and shame and the like, using this information to decide whom to trust, whom to a liate with. The psychopath has to pretend to be one of us. But this is di cult. It‘s hard to force yourself to comply with moral rules just through a rational appreciation of what you are expected to do. If you feel like strangling the cat, it‘s a struggle to hold back just because you know that it is frowned upon. Without a normal allotment of shame and guilt, psychopaths succumb to bad impulses, doing terrible things out of malice, greed, and simple boredom. And sooner or later, they get caught. While psychopaths can be successful in the short term, they tend to fail in the long term and often end up in prison or worse. Let‘s take a closer look at what separates psychopaths from the rest of us. There are many symptoms of psychopathy, including pathological lying and lack of remorse or guilt, but the core de cit is indifference toward the suffering of other people. Psychopaths lack compassion. To understand how compassion works for all of us non-psychopaths, it‘s important to distinguish it from empathy. Now, some contemporary researchers use the terms interchangeably, but there is a big difference between caring about a person (compassion) and putting yourself in the person‘s shoes (empathy). 
I am too much of an adaptationist to think that a capacity as rich as empathy exists as a freak biological accident. It most likely has a function, and the most plausible candidate here is that it motivates us to care about others. Empathy exists to motivate compassion and altruism. Still, the link between empathy (in the sense of mirroring another‘s feelings) and compassion (in the sense of feeling and acting kindly toward another) is more nuanced than many people believe. First, although empathy can be automatic and unconscious—a crying person can affect your mood, even if you‘re not aware that this is happening and would rather it didn‘t—we often choose whether to empathize with another person. So when empathy is present, it may be the product of a moral choice, not the cause of it. Empathy is also in uenced by what one thinks of the other person. Second, empathy is not needed to motivate compassion. As the psychologist Steven Pinker points out, “If a child has been frightened by a barking dog and is howling in terror, my sympathetic response is not to howl in terror with her, but to comfort and protect her” Third, just as you can have compassion without empathy, you can have empathy without compassion. You might feel the person‘s pain and wish to stop feeling it—but choose to solve the problem by distancing yourself from that person instead of alleviating his or her suffering. Even otherwise good people sometimes turn away when faced with depictions of pain and suffering in faraway lands, or when passing a homeless person on a city street

Question: 1

The core deficit of Psychopaths affects their long term success because,

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When answering questions about “core deficits” or weaknesses, focus on the central trait that defines the subject. For psychopaths, the defining lack of empathy/compassion is the key to understanding their limitations.
Updated On: Aug 23, 2025
  • they cannot sustain the behaviour.
  • they are less likely to succeed as HR managers than as finance managers.
  • they cannot hide their lack of compassion for long.
  • empathy is essential for long term success.
  • natural selection enables moral feelings.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Psychopaths are often characterized by superficial charm, manipulativeness, and lack of empathy. While these traits can sometimes help them achieve short-term gains, their inability to genuinely feel or display compassion eventually undermines their success in the long run. Step 1: Linking compassion with long-term success
Long-term success in careers, leadership, or relationships depends on building trust, sustaining cooperation, and showing empathy. A psychopath’s “core deficit” is their inability to feel compassion, which becomes apparent over time.

Step 2: Evaluating the options \begin{itemize} \item

Option A: “They cannot sustain the behaviour.” — Too vague; does not specify what behaviour. \item

Option B: “They are less likely to succeed as HR managers than as finance managers.” — Irrelevant; the passage does not compare professions. \item

Option C: “They cannot hide their lack of compassion for long.” — Correct, as the absence of compassion is the central flaw that eventually becomes visible and blocks sustained success. \item

Option D: “Empathy is essential for long term success.” — True in general, but less specific than C. \item

Option E: “Natural selection enables moral feelings.” — Philosophical, but not directly related to the author’s point. \end{itemize}

Step 3: Inference
Thus, the most accurate answer is Option C: The long-term barrier for psychopaths is their inability to hide their lack of compassion, which prevents sustainable success.

Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{C. they cannot hide their lack of compassion for long.}} \]
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Question: 2

Which of the following options is correct according to the author?

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When answering author-based questions, focus on the central claim or theme of the passage. Eliminate exaggerated, contradictory, or irrelevant statements — the correct option usually reflects the author’s balanced and purposeful viewpoint.
Updated On: Aug 23, 2025
  • Compassion exists for a reason.
  • Empathy is a chance event.
  • Empathy is the cause of moral choice.
  • Caring for others is psychopathy.
  • Long term success in business is a freak accident.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the author’s perspective.
The question asks what the author affirms as correct. Typically, in philosophical or psychological passages, compassion and empathy are treated as purposeful traits that serve human survival, cooperation, and morality. They are not random or pathological, but meaningful in shaping human behavior.

Step 2: Evaluating each option.
(A)

Compassion exists for a reason.
This aligns with the idea that compassion has evolutionary, social, and moral functions. The author likely supports this view, making this the correct option.
(B)

Empathy is a chance event.
This is incorrect. Empathy is not treated as a random occurrence but as a structured and purposeful human trait.
(C)

Empathy is the cause of moral choice.
While empathy may influence moral choices, the passage does not necessarily state it as the sole or primary cause. Thus, this option is overstated.
(D)

Caring for others is psychopathy.
This is directly contradictory, since psychopathy involves a lack of empathy and compassion. Hence, this is completely incorrect.
(E)

Long term success in business is a freak accident.
This is unrelated to compassion or empathy and is outside the author’s focus. Incorrect.


Step 3: Conclusion.
The only option consistent with the author’s perspective is that compassion is purposeful and meaningful — it “exists for a reason.”

Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{A. Compassion exists for a reason}} \]
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Question: 3

A student approached a faculty pleading to increase his marks because failure in one more subject will result in the student having to leave the program. The faculty said, “I am sorry. But I cannot change your grades as it would be unfair to others”. In the given circumstance, which of the following best describes the faculty?

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Remember: Empathy is “feeling with someone,” while compassion is “acting to help someone.” A person may empathize but still not show compassion if they choose not to act.
Updated On: Aug 23, 2025
  • The faculty is a psychopath.
  • The faculty was compassionate.
  • The faculty was both empathetic and compassionate but unfair.
  • The faculty displayed empathy but not compassion.
  • The faculty displayed compassion but not empathy.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the scenario
The student is pleading with the faculty to increase marks, citing a personal crisis (possible expulsion if failed). The faculty responds politely and acknowledges the situation but refuses to change grades, stating fairness to others.


Step 2: Distinguishing empathy and compassion
-

Empathy means understanding or feeling another person’s emotions.
-

Compassion means not only understanding but also being motivated to act and help alleviate the suffering.


Step 3: Analyzing the faculty’s behavior
- The faculty clearly understood the student’s situation and expressed regret by saying “I am sorry” — this indicates empathy.
- However, the faculty did not act to change the student’s outcome, since altering grades would be unfair — this shows absence of compassion (compassion requires action to reduce suffering).


Step 4: Eliminating wrong options
- (A) Psychopath: Incorrect, as the faculty shows concern and fairness, not lack of emotions.
- (B) Compassionate: Incorrect, since compassion would involve trying to alleviate suffering, which did not happen.
- (C) Both empathetic and compassionate but unfair: Incorrect, because compassion is missing here.
- (E) Compassion but not empathy: Incorrect, since compassion requires empathy, and here only empathy is present.


Step 5: Conclusion
The faculty understood the student’s emotions but did not take any action to help, so the correct description is:
\[ \boxed{\text{The faculty displayed empathy but not compassion.}} \]
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