GS4 · 10 marks · 150 words

What do each of the following quotations mean to you? "The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own." - Lao Tzu

Answered by 8 toppers · CSE 2023–2024

Human ValuesWorld ThinkersEmpathy and Compassion

Syllabus: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

How toppers approached it

From all 8 answers · about 180 words · 13% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • No separate opening75%
  • A definition13%
  • A direct answer13%

Body

  • Points38%
  • Continuous prose38%
  • Points and prose25%

Close

  • A quotation38%
  • A way forward38%
  • No separate close25%

The toppers’ answers

Aditya SrivastavaAIR 1 · CSE 2023 · 169 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

The value of altruism is being emphasized by people time and again - be it langar of Sikhism or the daanveer Karna.

Body · points

How giving to others leads to more

  1. Altruism leads to higher order needs fulfilment (Maslow)
  2. Promotes credibility and shining character. Eg: Karna from Mahabharat
  3. "To find yourself, lose yourself in service of others" - Gandhi → helps in self discovery
  4. Leads to satisfaction of conscience as seeing others happy gives smile to us.
  5. Corporate social responsibility

However, some amount of caution is needed -

  1. Basic necessity needs money today → survival → food/shelter
  2. Giving can promote syndicates. Eg: child trafficking for begging
  3. Wantlessness is utopian Eg: Need certain basic things
  4. Minimum profit needed for sustainability → for Corporate.

Close · a way forward

Thereby need is to minimize our greed and keep only what we need to ensure we arent caught in the chimera of materialism and get the higher order satisfaction of helping others in need in line with Gandhi's trusteeship.

More on Human Values

Values as such and where they come from: lessons from the lives of leaders, reformers and administrators, and the values named in the syllabus.

All GS4 questions on Human Values