SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 15 September 2025, Shift 1 · English Comprehension · Question 18 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 13 September 2026.

Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage :
To bifurcate life into immutable dichotomies of joy and sorrow is to misread its most intrinsic rhythm. Human existence unfolds not as a linear progression of happiness or despair, but as a dynamic interplay where each emotion deepens the resonance of the other. The ecstasy of triumph is never as poignant as when preceded by failure; likewise, the pang of loss finds contour only because we have once cherished the presence of what is now absent. Joy and sorrow, then, are not adversaries but co-authors of the same narrative. From antiquity to modernity, philosophical traditions have acknowledged this existential polarity. The Stoics embraced the inevitability of suffering as a precursor to tranquility, while Eastern philosophies like Buddhism anchor themselves in the impermanence of all experiences. In both frameworks, the pursuit of enduring happiness necessitates an acceptance of transience. Without sorrow, joy would be indistinct—a flat and shallow sensation lacking contrast or value. This interdependence is vividly manifest in the mundane. The delight of spring is intensified by the memory of a harsh winter; the serenity of solitude is meaningful only to one who has tasted the cacophony of crowds. Even our personal growth often emerges from crucibles of pain—grief chisels depth into our emotional landscape, refining our capacity for empathy, resilience, and gratitude. To demand unbroken happiness is to seek a monochromatic life—an existence devoid of emotional texture. The beauty of being lies not in circumventing sorrow, but in embracing it as a necessary foil to joy. These twin sentiments coalesce to form the chiaroscuro of consciousness, rendering our lives more vivid, more intricate, more human.

What tone does the author primarily adopt throughout the passage?

(a)Whimsical
(b)Philosophical
(c)Satirical
(d)Indifferent

Answer

Why

Correct — B. The author reasons about existence itself: joy and sorrow 'are not adversaries but co-authors of the same narrative'.

The argument draws on schools of thought — 'The Stoics embraced the inevitability of suffering', while 'Eastern philosophies like Buddhism anchor themselves in the impermanence of all experiences'.

Reflection on life's meaning, argued through philosophy, is a philosophical tone → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Whimsical — Whimsical means playful or fanciful. The passage is earnest from start to finish — 'crucibles of pain', 'grief chisels depth' — with no play in it.
(c)
Satirical — Satire ridicules a target to criticise it. No one is mocked here; even the view the author rejects, demanding 'unbroken happiness', is answered by argument.
(d)
Indifferent — An indifferent writer has no stake in the question. This one takes a side: 'The beauty of being lies not in circumventing sorrow, but in embracing it'.

Concept

Tone is the author's attitude, read from word choice and the kind of support offered.

Here the vocabulary is abstract — 'dichotomies', 'existential polarity', 'transience', 'impermanence' — and the argument leans on the Stoics and Buddhism. The claims are about life in general, not about a person or an event.

That combination — general truths, abstract terms, schools of thought — is what philosophical names.

The passage names 'philosophical traditions' outright, but the answer does not rest on that one word: the whole passage reasons about how to live rather than reporting what happened.

Key facts

Whimsical means playful or fanciful in a light-hearted way.
Satirical writing uses ridicule, irony or exaggeration to criticise its target.
Indifferent means having no interest in or concern about the matter.
A philosophical tone reflects on general questions of life and meaning, usually in abstract terms.

Study next

Tone words for reflective prose: contemplative, didactic, reflectiveTelling a passage's topic apart from its toneAuthor's-purpose questions on argumentative passages

Common traps

Reading 'Whimsical' as 'imaginative' because of the passage's rich imagery — whimsical means playful, and this passage is serious throughout.
Taking a calm, measured voice for indifference — the author argues plainly for embracing sorrow.

Tone questions on a passage also appear at 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.18 (key: Hopeful and critical, with Indifferent among the options) and 18 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.20 (key: Reflective and critical).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Reading comprehension — all 128 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.

Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage :
To bifurcate life into immutable dichotomies of joy and sorrow is to misread its most intrinsic rhythm. Human existence unfolds not as a linear progression of happiness or despair, but as a dynamic interplay where each emotion deepens the resonance of the other. The ecstasy of triumph is never as poignant as when preceded by failure; likewise, the pang of loss finds contour only because we have once cherished the presence of what is now absent. Joy and sorrow, then, are not adversaries but co-authors of the same narrative. From antiquity to modernity, philosophical traditions have acknowledged this existential polarity. The Stoics embraced the inevitability of suffering as a precursor to tranquility, while Eastern philosophies like Buddhism anchor themselves in the impermanence of all experiences. In both frameworks, the pursuit of enduring happiness necessitates an acceptance of transience. Without sorrow, joy would be indistinct—a flat and shallow sensation lacking contrast or value. This interdependence is vividly manifest in the mundane. The delight of spring is intensified by the memory of a harsh winter; the serenity of solitude is meaningful only to one who has tasted the cacophony of crowds. Even our personal growth often emerges from crucibles of pain—grief chisels depth into our emotional landscape, refining our capacity for empathy, resilience, and gratitude. To demand unbroken happiness is to seek a monochromatic life—an existence devoid of emotional texture. The beauty of being lies not in circumventing sorrow, but in embracing it as a necessary foil to joy. These twin sentiments coalesce to form the chiaroscuro of consciousness, rendering our lives more vivid, more intricate, more human.