IPM/YLM 1.

0 TEST SERIES - 2022

TEST CODE : 42, SYNOPSIS

SECTION - A

1. Man is a being in search of meaning.

 Introduction
 Thesis
 Explanation of key terms and core meaning of the essay
 What is the search for ?
 Why man is in search of meaning ?
 Different ways in which humans search the meaning of life
 Significance and findings of the search by man ?
 Counter perspectives – does man always search for meaning in everything ?
 How it would be if humans doesn’t search for meaning in their thoughts and actions
 Conclusion – your own opinion of the meaning of human life
Introduction
You can start the essay with a quote related to the topic ; or can tell about any anecdote from
Victor E Frankel’s book “Man’s search for meaning “. In the book, Frankel finds the
meaning of life in the Nazi death camps and gives the psychological theory of ‘logotherapy’.
Following the Introduction, you can outline your opinion on the topic by reiterating it –
whether you agree that Humans try to search for a meaning in their thoughts, actions and their
life.
Thesis
The essay will discuss about the search of meaning by man, what does human search for ?,
Why one tends to find the meaning of whatever one does?, the ways in which the truth or
meaning or purpose of life is found, what is the significance and findings of the search for
meaning ?. We will further analyse or portray the contrasting views to the given statement –
the scenario where one fails to search the purpose/meaning of life, do we always search for
meaning of everything ?. Finally, we will conclude the essay.
Body of the essay
1. Explanation of the keyterms and the core meaning : You can mention how humans
evolved in earth, why human is a being ? What kind of a being and why different from
other beings? What does search signify?
What is a meaning ? -> It is derived from the Greek word ‘logos’. Meaning implies the
intent or the purpose.
2. What is the search for ? Here you can discuss what human beings search for. Man is a
social animal. We differ from other beings in the aspect of our sense of thoughts and
speech, to live a connected living. Hence, the search of man can be for the existence, say,
food and shelter, joy happiness, wisdom, love. But the foundational search of man is for
the meaning of his existence itself. Gandhi had considered his life as “Search of
truth/Ahimsa”. Likewise, all humans try to find a purpose of their birth, growth, evolution
and even after death, in the form of reincarnation and attaining salvation.
3. Why man is in search of meaning ? Socrates says, “An unexamined life is not worth living”.
Acc to Frankel’s logotherapy, the primary motivational force of an individual is to find a
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 meaning in life. Man tends to find the purpose of one’s thoughts, emotions, actions. He
tends to search for meaning out of his freedom of choice or the faith in future. This would
help man achieve the destination of one’s life. This would also help one to find the reason
to live. This especially becomes necessary when one struggles for a livelihood amidst the
attempts of suicide cases that keeps increasing.
4. Different ways in which humans search the meaning of life – Here try to explain with
examples and various dimensions – say, Buddha’s way of attaining enlightenment
through eight fold path, Socretes’ way of dialectics. Even the modern day examples of
richmen leaving their comforts and finding their solace in meditation and yathras , that
helps them find the meaning of their lives.
Some others, search for the meaning in the happiness of their family, in the success of
their business, in the satisfaction of their conscience, etc. You can even relate this to the
international relations and the wars between nations. The search for meaning, in the
context of wars from ancient times, can be connoted as the search for wealth and
acquisition.
5. Significance and findings of the search by man ? Humans actually comfort others. This
happens when there is suffering in human lives. A determined person who tried to find
the meaning of his existence in spite of the sufferings, paves the path of his glorious
future. You can give examples of Indian freedom struggle for an Independent Indian
future, various innovations and technological inventions (“The ethics of science regards
the search for truth as one of the highest duties of mankind”).
6. Counter perspectives to the statement given --
Does man always search for meaning in everything ? No, in reality, one tend to search for
the reason or purpose to live, mostly during the harsh experience of one’s life-during
poverty, adversity, as a reaction, resentment, etc. But life never stops to have a meaning.
It is that one have to find it right on time. There are also counter arguments to the given
statement of Plato’s , where the critics point out that humans are also mere animals, like
other beings – we reproduce , fight for survival and evolve.
Scenario where humans doesn’t search for meaning in their thoughts and actions – What
happens if the meaning is not found ? There are theories that propounds to live in the
present, enjoy the pleasure at time being, etc. Even human instincts in realistic way
operates in this manner, which doesn’t go for the pursuit of searching the meaning
always. You can also link the utilitarian debate here.
7. Conclusion – Start the conclusion part by reiterating the statement and you agree that
Man is in search of meaning of life because “Life is to be lived “. Finding a meaning help
the person emerge triumph amidst all the darkness and make one’s life attain its purpose.
Sometimes, the true meaning of life is also in making others find their meaning. Above
all this, there is no pre-determined notion of how a man should live or search for
meaning. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing – to choose one’s attitude
, to choose one’s own way”.

2. Truth stands, even if there is no public support. It is self-sustained.

Introduction
Anecdote or any quote related to the statement
Related quote

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 famous Kalama Sutta: “Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon
tradition; nor upon rumor…”
Dimensions and meaning of key word “truth”

Truth can be divided into three segments.

First is the factual truth. It answers the question - What is this? Like how much time does the
earth take to make a complete rotation. Factual truth can be termed as scientific fact.

Second is the functional truth. It does not answer what is that something. It says how to act so
that with time you get better as the action progresses. For instance, people who carry gun are
advised to treat the gun as if it is loaded. And those who did not follow this, they have hurt
themselves or someone in the long run.

Third is the metaphorical truth. This is a type of truth which is expressed through stories,
myths. It is extracted from stories. And we need stories to understand ourselves.
How does truth stand for itself when there is no public support
 Truth means a fact where one plus one is two even if people don’t support it ,it’s beyond
the social norms and stigmas it cannot be contained or altered it remains as it is and
cannot be corrupted with time .
 It’s a rule of nature that what’s real has to be on the table of life ,example britishers tried
to break the spiritual backbone of the country by stating that it was the aryan invasion
that brought culture to the Indian subcontinent but later on Harappan culture was
excavated and it was found that Indian culture was much older than what the British
people had believed
 Truth always Triumphs…as per the Mandukya upanishad satyamev Jayeeta truth always
triumphs and that’s because of the nature of truth as it depends on none and self
sustained even according to the mythological perspective the truth is protected by the
gods and when truth is hidden the nature itself sets upon to bring it out .
Sometimes truth doesn’t stand on its own it needs help of other the bold and valour
Like no one killed Jessica the movie which is based in real life event people tried to hide the
truth and cover it with lies but it was the valour,hard work boldness of two women their
persistent efforts to find the truth helped or made the truth come to light

Conclusion
TRUTH is the foundation and the mechanism by which we learn all things and know all things.
For this reason it functions as a Name: a symbol that acts as a picture but which cannot be
identified as the object or category it represents. Gödel proves this is logical. Tarski defines it
definitively and Wittgenstein works it out in words. We achieve knowledge by using
corresponding comparisons of properties (isomorphisms) to identify things by each other - this
is translational heuristics. Truth is what allows such assembly of meaning to occur.

For this self-referential reason, Truth cannot speak for itself as itself. The truth of Truth is that
it can be embodied in form, but when interrogated regarding its own nature it can only answer
as silence. It sounds like nothing.The logic of logic, the fact of fact, the truth of truth. Words

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 mean nothing without the Word - they are mere symbols, signifying meaningless by
themselves.

3. You cannot step into the same river twice

Introduction
In the solace of silence, two monks crossed paths like a thread of beads and soon stumbled
upon a river. As both of them took their footwear and sent ripples across the river with each
step, one of the monks said that the path they embarked upon can’t be re-visited. An often lot
of contemplation led the other monk to believe that the river he stepped was never the same,
although in hindsight it looked as though it was unchanged, in reality, every molecule had
changed to a different state of rest.

We may name our rivers after a god, location, or a person but unlike the name of the entity
the river is under constant change.

Keyword “river “can be related to time

We use this one word, river, to talk about something that’s in constant flux, and that might
cause us to think that things are more fixed than they are – indeed, to think that there are
stable things at all. Our noun-bound language can’t capture the ceaseless flow of existence.
Time is relative, so are you stepping on the river twice, or is the river touching you twice.
Treading to a path of the two same mistakes a person can make or if the circumstances around
that person lead them to that same path. Although its effects are the same the points of
incidence are different.

Pandemic context
When you elevate yourself to solve the problem, you are changing. You cannot step into the
same river twice is very timely with what's going on in the world. Because of the rapid spread
of the virus, many people are forced to work from home. That's a big change for people. The
isolation is forcing everyone to approach life very differently. They're finding new ways to stay
in contact with each other.
And things will never be the same, even when they find a cure for the virus. With all this change
going on around you, it impacts who you are. And you being changed by worldwide events,

Other scenarios where the things change with every step

Can relate to a chessboard, the board being the river and each move being a ripple.
Each ripple may cause a trillion other possibilities.
every move in a game of chess alters the state of play, so does every conversational move alter
the state of play in what he calls the language-game. The point of talking, like the point of
moving a chess piece, is to do something. But a move only counts as that move in that game
provided a certain amount of stage-setting. To make sense of a chess game, we need to be
able to distinguish knights from bishops, know how the different pieces move, and so on.
Placing pieces on the board at the start of the game isn’t a sequence of moves. It’s something
we do to make the game possible in the first place.

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 Butterfly effect- if a prominent personality like Gandhi didn't exist, would the society at that
point of team scream the chants of India in unison?
We can compare this with the butterfly effect the wings, the ripple, being Gandhi

Counter argument

From the estuaries of Alleppey to the melted ice caps of Devprayag, every river is set to the
definition of its name. If it did change then a stream or the river would be entitled to only one
name per se
Although each molecule transcends geographically its defined as the premises of a river.

The law of Impermanence-everything has an end, every thought, living being and reality is
decaying as the second passes by

The only constant is change.

Conclusion
There’s nothing wrong with proposing alternative rules, provided you’re clear that that’s what
you’re doing. If you say: ‘The king moves just like the queen,’ you’re either saying something
false about our game of chess or you’re proposing an alternative version of the game – which
might or might not turn out to be any good.

4. Who depends upon another man's table often dines late.

Introduction
Anecdote or any relevant quote can be used for the introduction

Meaning
To depend on another mans table would mean to bear someone emotionally ,mentally and
physically for certain necessities
Example :a slave is dependent on the master for his basic necessities and hence has to depend
on the master to fulfil it .
Societal Perspective
 The supposed “lower class” of society is dependent on leaders/politicians for their
welfare
 Due to the realities of society in India, they’re not allowed to go beyond a certain level
wrt their financial and professional aspirations, which leads to dependency on our
supposed leaders who go to them with big claims and promises
 However, when it comes to benefits, what they get at the end is just a drop in the bucket
when compared to the rest of the chain
 They’re usually an after thought once the said leaders reach power
 Also, whatever they were promised is watered down, but still beneficial to them, which
ensures that they vote for them again. This vicious cycle continues over multiple cycles
 This essentially leaves them to dine late, and they’re not benefactors of their benevolence

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 Historical perspective
The britisher believed in the trickle down effect ,they thought the idea of education and
learning would be passed on from the middle class literates to rest of the Indian societies ,but
the other sections of the society had to dine late as they had to depend upon middle class
literates for their upheaval .

Why do they dine late ?

 Dependency example the servants in the house eat the food only after the master has
eaten
 Norm example in the patriarchal society are told to dine after the male members of the
family have eaten the food ,hence the differentiated and considered less for the
household work they do.

Counter argument
The farmers are the the master that everyone In the country depend upon for the food on the
table they depend on farmers table but unlike the essay statement conveys farmer are the
people who dine late in the sense that with respect to the economic growth and upheaval
farmers are mostly at the end of the social spectrum.

Conclusion
A suitable conclusion can be brought in through connecting the quote or anecdote that was
brought in at the introduction,this helps to bring in completeness of the essay

SECTION - B

5. We suffer more in imagination than in reality

Introduction-Start with relevant Quotes/anecdote/ story or any recent example examples
eg-Anecdote on fear around COVID-19

Thesis statement -Mention different aspects that are going to be discussed in the essay
broadly.
 Discuss what is Imagination and reality.

Main body
Empty Fear leading to more sufferings- Add dimensions in your essays from different fields
 Overthinking and being anxious upcoming things is completely normal, everyone does it
but a lot of the time those things are more in our head than in reality, they very rarely
materialise.
Nervous during the exam thinking of the results
 thinking patterns is that it closes us off from what matters and creates a cycle of “I can’t
do this”, “there’s no way” attitude that will limit us in our relationship with the people,
places, and things.
 madness and violence - religious issues -extreme fear of and hostility toward one religion .
It often leads to hate speech and hate crimes, social and political discrimination

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  Poverty -sometimes enough just to have a bed to sleep in, food to eat and people around
who love you? Some might say that whether or not you consider yourself poor are simply
up to your mindset. Because sometimes just being grateful for what you have and not
trying to search for the unattainable are more than enough.

Counter arguments
Suffering sometimes are equally harsher sometimes.
 connect it with current issues like Ukraine crisis
 Age of sufferings that are not on papers but in reality eg- Manual scavenging

Other dimensions-
Imagination Creates Reality
It is said that ‘thought become things’ in the same way imagination creates the reality. The
reality is all about how we perceive and how we lead it. If an individual cannot imagine and
lead to the passions that would provide self-esteem and self-actualization, it is not possible to
achieve internal satisfaction. This is one of the reasons that the level of depression is increasing
despite having wealth and success.

Way forward and Conclusion

 Need to consider only our objective self.
 Albert Einstein asserted:
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview for life’s coming attractions.”
happiness is a state of the mind .

6. Real freedom is not merely doing what you like, but also NOT doing what you like
Introduction:
(narrate an event where freedom is violated by doing whatever one likes and mention it’s
repercussions on individuals and the society) The famous case of Anil Ambani vs Mukesh
Ambani was published in many newspapers including foreign journals..
Anil Ambani sued brother Mukesh for damages of Rs.10,000 crore for certain libellous
statements by the latter in an interview to New York Times the American publication and some
Indian papers which reproduced this where also made respondents. however the cases were
later withdrawn ..here we should understand that the newspapers have freedom to publish
whatever good for society ,however the same newspapers should not publish some sensitive
issues which may hurt individuals.. Freedom is not all about what we are allowed to do it is
also about what we should not do.. Are human beings free? What are the limits of individual
freedom in a civilised society? Should we tolerate unlimited freedom of speech, no matter how
offensive the views expressed? Can the state ever be justified in interfering with what
consenting adults choose to do in private? When, if ever, is coercion acceptable? Are all laws
obstacles to freedom, or are they the very condition of achieving it? Should we sometimes
force people to be free, or is that a contradiction in terms?

Body Dimensions
What is freedom in general? Freedom is an intrinsic right that people have since their
introduction to the worldreedom is the decision to carry on with one’s life doing what one

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 needs live where one needs… The meaning of real freedom has a different notions political,
philosophical, and spiritual..politically It expands upon notions of negative freedom by
incorporating not simply institutional constraints on persons choices but also the requirements
of physical reality resources and personal capacity.. freedom of the person in going and coming
equality before the court security of private property freedom of opinion and its expression
and freedom of conscience subject to the rights of others in other public compare personal
liberty..
The difference between doing what we like and not doing what we like? To live in a society
requires all kinds of co-operation. Usually this means curbing some of our more selfish desires
in order to accommodate other people's interests. That is an element of the human situation.
Given that our desires often conflict, it would be impossible for us to live in a society which
imposed no limits whatsoever on what we do. It would be absurd to argue that we should all
have complete licence to do whatever takes our fancy no matter who is affected by our actions.
How we affect others rights by exercising our freedom uncontrollably? Example : if we park
our car across other’s drive, thereby preventing them from getting their car out, we restrict
other’s freedom; Or, in wider connotation, if the state prevents us from going on strike by
making our actions illegal, even if We don't have anything to strike about, and even if we don't
ever intend to strike, our freedom is still curtailed.
How to balance the Both..? How to enjoy our freedom as well as not doing such actions which
are antithetical to social and constitutional norms..
What are the means to strike a balance? The right to freedom comes under one of the
fundamental rights. It is enshrined in the Indian Constitution. It is enshrined in the Indian
Constitution…at the Same time there is reasonable restrictions on these rights.. For example
according to article 19 the right to freedom of assembly could be restricted on the following
grounds in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India or in the interest of public order
Why individual freedom is restricted.? the proper exercise of these liberties, taken in
conjunction with the need for public order, national security, the preservation of moral values,
as well as respect for the rights of one’s fellowman—all of this necessarily entails that some
restrictions be placed upon these liberties. Only the freedom of thought, conscience and
opinion are subject to no real restriction. Each and every person is free to think what he or she
likes without fear of government interference so long as his or her opinions remain
private.Freedom of expression is limited, most notably as it pertains to the violation of moral
values and to the transmission of messages that incite hatred and violence (racism,
discrimination, etc.)
Access to information is an important aspect of the right to the free exchange of ideas and
information. Today, Freedom of religion is not an unlimited right and can be restricted to the
extent that its practitioners constitute a threat to the public order and to the rights of others.
So long as this is not the case, one’s choice of religion should not be subject to restriction.

Striking a balance: Balancing individual freedom with public order .. The freedoms guaranteed
by the Preamble or Fundamental Rights are not limitless but limited. If these are left
unchecked, freedom can create a situation of anarchy, racism and anti-social activities in the
society.
Reasonable restrictions can be imposed on freedom of association based on the sovereignty
and integrity of India, public order and morality.

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 Free circulation and freedom of residence everywhere in the interests of the common people
(for example, the Supreme Court has ruled that the freedom of transmission of prostitutes can
be restricted on public health grounds) and the safety and interests of any Scheduled Tribe (for
the protection of the specific culture of the tribes).
Freedom of profession can be restricted for the interests of the general public through
licensing for certain types of occupation, determination of professional or technical
qualifications, etc. Immoral and risky profession/profession/business or trade is not covered
under this right.

Solution:
A better balance between individual liberty and social interests will result in the establishment
of a rules-based system in which citizens can participate fully and effectively in the social and
political process of the country. Therefore, the Constitution strikes a balance between
individual liberty and wider social interests by imposing ‘reasonable restrictions’ on the use of
this right for certain purposes.

Conclusion: Let nobody be afraid of true freedom of thought let us be free in thoughts and
criticism but with freedom comes responsibility we should respect others rights as well..since
we are in contract with the society, we should follow moderation guided by Gauthama
Buddha’s middle path..

7. Poverty doesn’t come because of the decrease of wealth but because of the increase of
desires
Poverty doesn’t come because of the decrease of wealth but because of the increase of desires
Britain had colonised several nations including India and exploited resources which
impoverished the locals for generations. It’s greed for resources led to this state. This highlights
that poverty does increase because of desires. Poverty implies state of incapacity where are
unable to meet the basic needs of life. Though this happens due to poor economic status ,it
can also result due to excessive desires.We can see such instances throughout the history.
Main dimension :
1. Poor governance where politicians and officials misuse their authority for personal needs
ensures that developmental benefits does not infiltrate into the bottom of society.
2. Caste,communal and ethnic conflicts drag people into poverty due to desire of one group
to dominate over the other. Ex Sri Lankan civil war, Rohingyas .
3. 2008 financial crisis pushed several people into poverty due to economic downturn which
occurred due to greed of few financial institutions.
4. Pakistan’s hatred towards India and its intentions to see India getting divided is resulting
into diversion of resources for military rather than welfare of its local citizens.
5. Humans greed to consume more and more is leading to global warming and severe
disasters which is pushing people onto the edges of poverty . Ex Hyderabad floods,
Kedarnath, hurricane Katrina.
6. People also are debt ridden due to excessive greed as can be witnessed by the losses of
many traders who take undue risks in share market. we find several instances where
poverty was due to desires.
Other dimensions:

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 Thus But poverty also occurs due to incapability of man. Low skills trap him into cycle of poverty
. Apart from incapability people also live in poverty due to lack of desires. Uninterested and
unmotivated people end up leading miserable lives in this competitive world. As poverty in
society affects others in many ways ,it’s responsibility lies on everyone else to minimise it.
Ways to overcome:
People should be provided with basic education,health and skills so that one is able to stand
on their feet. Desires need to be controlled by stressing on contentment. For this value
education serves the need. People should be encouraged to take calculated risks rather than
losing everything out of greed. Consumerism need to be replaced by sustainable consumption
and by healthy lifestyles. Need to have responsive and prudent regulatory institutions to curb
events like Sharda scam , rose valley Scam of West Bengal. Public servants should be made to
act as trustees by ensuring their accountability. Thus by above solutions one can ensure that
poverty - a worst form of violence and a blot on humanity can be contained

8. It is faith that makes a lion of a man.

(Start with a brainstorming quote apt to the essay topic always.)
‘’We are twice armed if we fight with faith.‘’
~ Plato
Introduction:
(Start your essay with a thought provoking and very interesting introduction:
Anecdote/
Two contrasting case studies/
Impromptu arguments/
Defining key words of essay topic and summarizing it over as per main essay demand)
(Write intro in 80-100 words with good element of interest.)
It was a remote place best known for sculpture shops. There lived a father and son. Father was
a sculptor and had a shop. He never made any profits from the shop. In his free time, Father
used to teach his young son the art of sculpture. While teaching the art, he also taught him
about work ethics and the faith one should have in his work. He told his son, “We are not selling
as many sculptures as we wanted. But one day our work will reach the right people. From that
day, there will be no looking back.”As time passed, his son learned the complete art of
sculpturing. He was helping his father along with his studies. Other Sculptures in the area closed
their shops and went for other jobs. They used to advise the father, “Leave this work and look
for any other source of income. You will never earn from this.”But the father continued selling
the sculptures. One day, a businessman was traveling in his car and saw the sculptures shining
like gold in the rays of the sun. He visited the shop and explored the sculptures. Then he told
the father, “These sculptures look great. They have high demand in other countries. Can we
both do business together?. You make the sculpture, and I sell it.” Father and son were happy
with the offer from the businessman. They agreed to the deal. They started making more
Sculptures, and soon their business grew multi-fold.
Moral of the story “Faith gives you an inner strength and a sense of balance and perspective
in life.” It is faith that makes a lion of a man.
Thesis Statement:
(Write a thesis statement in 30-40 words mentioning what you are going to address in entire
essay.)

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 Body:
(In body part we must start with a catchy sub-heading and should provide arguments, counter
arguments and balanced views wherever required.)
Faith towards goal:
“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
Faith cannot be taught or imbibed in a person. It comes from within and is determiner in your
attitude towards life. Faith brings motivation and thus the strength and the enthusiasm in
achievement of a goal are an important factor in deciding the success or failure of it. If Faith is
lost, failure is imminent.
Types of faith and human instinct:
 Blind faith
 Religious faith
 Faith towards Social harmony
 Utopian faith
 Etc
Benefits and Importance of Faith:
 Increase Unity
 Increase Strength
 Increase hope
 Increase morality
 Change old age methods

(Counter Argument)
YOU CAN ADD MORE DIMENSIONS AND ARGUMENTS THROUGH 2-3 MORE SUB-HEADINGS.
Way Forward and Conclusion:
Here try to summarize your views and provide futuristic balanced views with logical end of the
essay topic. (2-3 paragraphs)
Faith is the distant light that keeps us moving even when the surroundings seem dark and dull.
All you need is determination, hard work and courage to win with your faith. You can turn
impossible into possible and achieve great heights in life by keeping your faith intact.
All trials of life will seem conquerable if a person doesn’t lose hope and fights all struggles with
faith in the achievement of victory

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
~Winston Churchill
Always try to end with
 Optimistic Quote/
 Small poem/Excerpts of Small poem e.g. Tagore/
 Couplet/
 Kabir Doha/
 Thiruvalluvar Saying/
 Famous Statesman’s Saying etc

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