Passage

I must say that, beyond occasionally exposing me to laughter, my constitutional shyness has been of no disadvantage whatever. In fact, I can see that, on the contrary, it has been all to my advantage. My hesitancy in speech, which was once an annoyance, is now a pleasure. Its greatest benefit has been that it has taught me the economy of words. I have naturally formed the habit of restraining my thoughts. And I can now give myself the certificate that a thoughtless word hardly ever escapes my tongue or pen. I do not recollect ever having had to regret anything in my speech or writing. I have thus been spared many a mishap and waste of time. Experience has taught me that silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of truth. Proneness to exaggerate, to suppress or modify the truth, wittingly or unwittingly, is a natural weakness of man, and silence is a natural weakness of man, and silence is necessary in order to surmount it. A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech; he will measure every word. We find so many people impatient to talk. There is no chairman of a meeting who is not pestered with notes for permission to speak. And whenever the permission is given the speaker generally exceeds the time-limit, asks for more time, and keeps on talking without permission. All this talking can hardly be said to be of any benefit to the world. It is so much waste of time. My shyness has been in reality my shield and buckler. It has allowed me to grow. It has helped me in my discernment of truth.

QUESTION

CSAT

Easy

Comprehension

Prelims 2015

The author says that a thoughtless word hardly ever escapes his tongue or pen. Which one of the following is not a valid reason for this?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Option A is correct because the author does not explicitly mention avoiding wasting time as a reason for thinking before speaking. The focus is on economy of words, restraint, and shyness.

Option B is incorrect because the author explicitly mentions that his hesitancy in speech has taught him the economy of words, leading him to think carefully before speaking or writing.

Option C is incorrect because the author explains that his habit of restraining his thoughts has helped him avoid thoughtless words and contributed to his self-discipline in speech.

Option D is incorrect because the author discusses his constitutional shyness and how it led to the development of habits that ensure carefulness in speech and writing, reducing thoughtless expression.