UPSC essays aren't about "proving" the quote, by quoting one example after another in support of it. Everyone knows the quote is true. That's why it is a 'quote' in the first place.
They are about using the quote as a prism to look at the world around us - "how does the wisdom of the quote apply to the world around me?" That should form the major part of our thesis.
They are about using the quote as a prism to look at the world around us - "how does the wisdom of the quote apply to the world around me?" That should form the major part of our thesis.
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Doubter is a true man of science (2024)
"A well educated mind will have more questions than answers"
Similar theme - Curiosity, Skepticism
"A well educated mind will have more questions than answers"
Similar theme - Curiosity, Skepticism
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Brainstormed a quote I found interesting from this year's Essay paper:
A good leader is one who follows the followers.
INTRO
Gandhi – followed the followers (Concerns of the masses linked to INM; loincloth, khadi, salt); BUT also did the opposite – defied the followers (Chauri Chaura) – what’s correct?
OR
People of Ayodhya questioning Maa Sita’s chastity – deliberating Lord Rama’s decision of listening to the followers.
THESIS
Why it may be the sign of a good leader?
1. Followers possess experience; aspirations; expertise; give feedback; grassroot knowledge – can be utilised by the leader. (Companies conducting market research; CPGRAMS portal; Gram Sabhas)
2. A leader derives legitimacy from followers – not gaining their trust, not listening to them – sign of a failed leadership. (“We, The People of India, … give ourselves this Constitution”)
3. Democratic/collective/cooperative decision-making – easily followed (Bottom-up planning).
4. Followers can help enforce moral values – justice, truth, liberty – through constant questioning, accountability – prevent arrogance, authoritarianism in the leader (Dissent in a democracy; Indira Gandhi losing after emergency)
5. A good leader helps other new leaders emerge – giving voice to followers important. (Second line of leadership in EIC – Clive rose up the ranks from a mere clerk)
EXTRAPOLATION
What is the significance of the quote? How does it apply to the real world?
1. Ensures democracy; good governance; accountability; transparency; ethical governance, etc. (the book ‘Why Nations Fail’; Amartya Sen – “No famine in a democratic country”)
2. Bottom-up feedback – better outcomes. (Panchayati Raj success stories; innovators – Jobs, Ford, Altman – solving problems of the “followers”, taking their continuou feedback)
3. Rise of authoritarianism/totalitarianism/populism/fascism – when leader stops listening (Stalin, Hitler, Mao; Duryodhan not listening to his counsels)
4. Culture of Yes-Men; sycophancy; flattery (“Beware of the yes-man” – F.M. Sam Manekshaw/ Groupthink)
ANTI-THESIS
Why it is not the hallmark of a good leader?
1. Vices of the followers taken up. (Your average social media “influencer” – mindless rush for likes and followers – do as their algorithm tells (Reelbaaz officers); “When you stare long enough into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you” – Nietzsche)
2. Risk of the rise of majoritarianism; mobocracy – leader merely blindly following the prevailing sentiment – Followers can be wrong. (Nazi Germany; People of Ayodhya questioning Maa Sita’s chastity)
3. Makes one a man of convenience, not a man of principles – Populism takes over governance/polity, instead of justice – won’t take unpopular decisions. (Demonetisation; 1991 LPG reforms)
4. A good leader is one who provides direction – that’s what a ‘LEAD’er is - If followers already know where to go, what to do, how to achieve their goals, then do they even need a leader? (CJP protesters turning violent)
5. A leader is supposed to go beyond the present imagination of the followers (Gandhi mobilising various groups (farmers, capitalists, workers) towards INM)
MOVING THE DISCUSSION FORWARD (more dimensions that can’t neatly be put into thesis/anti-thesis; but are pretty relevant to the discussion)
1. Do we even need a leader in the modern world? (Decentralised/Leader-less modern social movements in the age of social media (BLM in USA)/SHGs (Kudumbashree))
2. An organisation/society/nation in search of a saviour/messiah that will bring them deliverance – has already lost. (Systems/checks & balances in place to ensure that even if the leader is good/bad, cannot commit overreach)
3. No leader-follower binary – both rub off each other, yin and yang. (Gandhi became such because the masses valued those ideals (simple-living, charkha, salt); the masses became such because Gandhi valued those ideals (non-violence))
4. A good leader should also listen to/follow the NON-FOLLOWERS!
INTRO
Gandhi – followed the followers (Concerns of the masses linked to INM; loincloth, khadi, salt); BUT also did the opposite – defied the followers (Chauri Chaura) – what’s correct?
OR
People of Ayodhya questioning Maa Sita’s chastity – deliberating Lord Rama’s decision of listening to the followers.
THESIS
Why it may be the sign of a good leader?
1. Followers possess experience; aspirations; expertise; give feedback; grassroot knowledge – can be utilised by the leader. (Companies conducting market research; CPGRAMS portal; Gram Sabhas)
2. A leader derives legitimacy from followers – not gaining their trust, not listening to them – sign of a failed leadership. (“We, The People of India, … give ourselves this Constitution”)
3. Democratic/collective/cooperative decision-making – easily followed (Bottom-up planning).
4. Followers can help enforce moral values – justice, truth, liberty – through constant questioning, accountability – prevent arrogance, authoritarianism in the leader (Dissent in a democracy; Indira Gandhi losing after emergency)
5. A good leader helps other new leaders emerge – giving voice to followers important. (Second line of leadership in EIC – Clive rose up the ranks from a mere clerk)
EXTRAPOLATION
What is the significance of the quote? How does it apply to the real world?
1. Ensures democracy; good governance; accountability; transparency; ethical governance, etc. (the book ‘Why Nations Fail’; Amartya Sen – “No famine in a democratic country”)
2. Bottom-up feedback – better outcomes. (Panchayati Raj success stories; innovators – Jobs, Ford, Altman – solving problems of the “followers”, taking their continuou feedback)
3. Rise of authoritarianism/totalitarianism/populism/fascism – when leader stops listening (Stalin, Hitler, Mao; Duryodhan not listening to his counsels)
4. Culture of Yes-Men; sycophancy; flattery (“Beware of the yes-man” – F.M. Sam Manekshaw/ Groupthink)
ANTI-THESIS
Why it is not the hallmark of a good leader?
1. Vices of the followers taken up. (Your average social media “influencer” – mindless rush for likes and followers – do as their algorithm tells (Reelbaaz officers); “When you stare long enough into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you” – Nietzsche)
2. Risk of the rise of majoritarianism; mobocracy – leader merely blindly following the prevailing sentiment – Followers can be wrong. (Nazi Germany; People of Ayodhya questioning Maa Sita’s chastity)
3. Makes one a man of convenience, not a man of principles – Populism takes over governance/polity, instead of justice – won’t take unpopular decisions. (Demonetisation; 1991 LPG reforms)
4. A good leader is one who provides direction – that’s what a ‘LEAD’er is - If followers already know where to go, what to do, how to achieve their goals, then do they even need a leader? (CJP protesters turning violent)
5. A leader is supposed to go beyond the present imagination of the followers (Gandhi mobilising various groups (farmers, capitalists, workers) towards INM)
MOVING THE DISCUSSION FORWARD (more dimensions that can’t neatly be put into thesis/anti-thesis; but are pretty relevant to the discussion)
1. Do we even need a leader in the modern world? (Decentralised/Leader-less modern social movements in the age of social media (BLM in USA)/SHGs (Kudumbashree))
2. An organisation/society/nation in search of a saviour/messiah that will bring them deliverance – has already lost. (Systems/checks & balances in place to ensure that even if the leader is good/bad, cannot commit overreach)
3. No leader-follower binary – both rub off each other, yin and yang. (Gandhi became such because the masses valued those ideals (simple-living, charkha, salt); the masses became such because Gandhi valued those ideals (non-violence))
4. A good leader should also listen to/follow the NON-FOLLOWERS!
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SYNTHESIS
1. A leader should LISTEN, not FOLLOW (utility in both) – How to ensure that? – 2, 3 ways
a. Institutionalise feedback (social audits, grievance redressal mechanisms)
b. Encourage dissent
c. Build institutions/systems stronger than personalities
CONCLUSION
Gandhi was able to succesfully traverse the tight-rope delicately. Some leaders aren’t capable enough to do that. And that exactly is what separates Mandela from the Maos of the world; Lincoln from the Hitlers of the world; and Ashoka from the Khiljis of the world.
1. A leader should LISTEN, not FOLLOW (utility in both) – How to ensure that? – 2, 3 ways
a. Institutionalise feedback (social audits, grievance redressal mechanisms)
b. Encourage dissent
c. Build institutions/systems stronger than personalities
CONCLUSION
Gandhi was able to succesfully traverse the tight-rope delicately. Some leaders aren’t capable enough to do that. And that exactly is what separates Mandela from the Maos of the world; Lincoln from the Hitlers of the world; and Ashoka from the Khiljis of the world.
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Each point represents a para.
Disclaimer: Brainstorming in exam-conditions is way more challenging. Wouldn't have come up with all of these points. This is also not an exhaustive list of dimensions one could think of on the topic. Just an idea of how one can structure.
Disclaimer: Brainstorming in exam-conditions is way more challenging. Wouldn't have come up with all of these points. This is also not an exhaustive list of dimensions one could think of on the topic. Just an idea of how one can structure.
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Forwarded from Rangamanju's Guide On How Not To Attempt UPSC
Now onto what i did specifically in this attempt that was missing in my previous attempts. I don't claim any of them necessarily contributed to the score, but perhaps there was a method in the madness
1) Rewrite the essay statement in black, boxing it
2) Start the essay with a poem, end with a poem- both generated on the spot at the time of brainstorming
3) Poem written in black to contrast with the writing in blue
4) Every sub heading in the essay is in black, in block letters, boxed
5) Deleting the "thesis statement" that i was told is a trope that good writing does not need. So i fully deleted in my final essay paragraphs like " this essay intends to ...."
6) Underlining not more than 4 words per page that I wanted the examiners attention to be drawn to
7) Picking topics which in my opinion were not as likely to be picked by others.
8) Giving equal due to both essays ( we don't know which of the two essays the examiner will evaluate first)
9) Thicker nib pen for easier reading because paper completion in essay is generally not a concern
10) Strict shift away from PESTLE approach in both essays. That is, even on thorough reading, evaluator would not have been able to see obvious headers such as political, economic etc.
11) Dimensions not usually explored by others given more significance.
For instance in my final essay i used the idea of infinity to elucidate how all ideas having large consequences are always simple. My premise was that infinity as a concept has large consequences in physics, computing etc but it's summation equals negative 1/12, which arguably is an overt simplification( please Google this to have your mind blown). Similarly my essay on the final day referenced Beethovens 5th symphony, Golden ratio and Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven".
12) Reduced the complexity of the vocabulary used, but increasing the use of similies, metaphors, allegories etc ( essentially literary devices)[ Refer to my Essay on Nature is no saint for how I use literary devices ]
I intended for my final essay to have been understood by a 10th grader in terms of how simple the sentence construction was.
13) My strengths are philosophical essays, so even when the theme arguably sounded GS like ( eg- forests precede civilisation and deserts follow), I've interpreted them in a philosophical context - emphasis on greed as mankind's unyielding trait, man's destructive tendencies etc
14) For the first time in all these years, I got my school teacher to evaluate my essay and give me feedback on call. I incorporated some of the advice she gave as well. Her critique was a lot more nuanced. I don't mean this to be a scathing belittling of what coaching institutes do, but unlike GS which has some objective parameters, I can't imagine essay can be evaluated in bulk the way coaching industry does it.
I've stated these explicitly because my writing capacity was not enhanced in any magical fashion in my last attempt that could account for sudden increase in scores; all re-arrangements made were largely cosmetic and have been documented above even if they appear to be trite.
My pick in Section A "Forests precede civilisation and deserts follow them" and in Section B " All ideas having large consequences are always simple"
1) Rewrite the essay statement in black, boxing it
2) Start the essay with a poem, end with a poem- both generated on the spot at the time of brainstorming
3) Poem written in black to contrast with the writing in blue
4) Every sub heading in the essay is in black, in block letters, boxed
5) Deleting the "thesis statement" that i was told is a trope that good writing does not need. So i fully deleted in my final essay paragraphs like " this essay intends to ...."
6) Underlining not more than 4 words per page that I wanted the examiners attention to be drawn to
7) Picking topics which in my opinion were not as likely to be picked by others.
8) Giving equal due to both essays ( we don't know which of the two essays the examiner will evaluate first)
9) Thicker nib pen for easier reading because paper completion in essay is generally not a concern
10) Strict shift away from PESTLE approach in both essays. That is, even on thorough reading, evaluator would not have been able to see obvious headers such as political, economic etc.
11) Dimensions not usually explored by others given more significance.
For instance in my final essay i used the idea of infinity to elucidate how all ideas having large consequences are always simple. My premise was that infinity as a concept has large consequences in physics, computing etc but it's summation equals negative 1/12, which arguably is an overt simplification( please Google this to have your mind blown). Similarly my essay on the final day referenced Beethovens 5th symphony, Golden ratio and Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven".
12) Reduced the complexity of the vocabulary used, but increasing the use of similies, metaphors, allegories etc ( essentially literary devices)[ Refer to my Essay on Nature is no saint for how I use literary devices ]
I intended for my final essay to have been understood by a 10th grader in terms of how simple the sentence construction was.
13) My strengths are philosophical essays, so even when the theme arguably sounded GS like ( eg- forests precede civilisation and deserts follow), I've interpreted them in a philosophical context - emphasis on greed as mankind's unyielding trait, man's destructive tendencies etc
14) For the first time in all these years, I got my school teacher to evaluate my essay and give me feedback on call. I incorporated some of the advice she gave as well. Her critique was a lot more nuanced. I don't mean this to be a scathing belittling of what coaching institutes do, but unlike GS which has some objective parameters, I can't imagine essay can be evaluated in bulk the way coaching industry does it.
I've stated these explicitly because my writing capacity was not enhanced in any magical fashion in my last attempt that could account for sudden increase in scores; all re-arrangements made were largely cosmetic and have been documented above even if they appear to be trite.
My pick in Section A "Forests precede civilisation and deserts follow them" and in Section B " All ideas having large consequences are always simple"
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