Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? a. “Learn everything that is good from others, but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it, do not become others.” – Swami Vivekananda (2024, 10 Marks)

Paper	GS Paper 4
Word Limit	150 words
Syllabus Topic	Ethics – Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world

Model Answer

Swami Vivekananda asks us to keep an open mind but a firm identity. We should accept good ideas from anywhere. But we must absorb them in our own way, not copy blindly.

What It Conveys

• Intellectual humility: no one has all the answers.
• Discernment: choose what is good, reject the rest.
• Authenticity: blind copying kills creativity and self-respect.
• Echoes the Rig Veda: “Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.”

Present Context

• Nation: The Constitution borrowed features from many countries, but adapted them to India.
• Governance: A civil servant can adopt best practices from other states, but must tailor them locally.
• Youth: Social media pushes imitation of lifestyles; the quote urges confident individuality.

Conclusion

As Gandhi said, let all cultures blow through our house, but do not be blown off our feet. This balance builds a confident India.

Related PYQs

• “Do not hate anybody, because that hatred that comes out from you must, in the long run, come back to you. If you love, that love will come back to you, completing the circle.” – Swami Vivekananda (2023)
• “Every work has got to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. Those that persevere will see the light, sooner or later.” – Swami Vivekananda (2021)
• What are the major teachings of Mahavir? Explain their relevance in the contemporary world. (2025)