How does the passage describe the social view towards entrepreneurship?
English Comprehension ·Previously asked in SSC CGL 2025
View the full solved paper: SSC CGL 2025 Tier I - 13 Sep 2025, Shift 2 (13 Sep 2025, Shift 2)
Passage
Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage: In contemporary discourse, the debate between entrepreneurship and conventional employment has gained remarkable traction. While traditional employment offers predictability, structured growth, and a defined career trajectory, entrepreneurship appeals to those seeking autonomy, innovation, and the potential for exponential returns. However, both paths are fraught with distinct advantages and inherent uncertainties. Employment, particularly within established organizations, provides financial stability, social recognition, and institutional support. Employees are not burdened with existential risks such as capital loss or market unpredictability. Instead, they operate within frameworks of responsibility and hierarchy, where risk is absorbed at higher managerial levels. For many, this structure offers psychological comfort and a clear roadmap for progression. Conversely, entrepreneurship demands resilience, resourcefulness, and a high tolerance for ambiguity. Entrepreneurs must navigate volatile markets, regulatory complexities, and the absence of assured income — challenges often underestimated by aspirants. Yet, for those with a risk appetite and creative acumen, entrepreneurship promises a unique form of fulfillment. It allows individuals to disrupt existing paradigms, build ventures from the ground up, and possibly shape industries. Societal perceptions further complicate the dichotomy. In many cultures, steady employment is seen as the hallmark of success, while entrepreneurial endeavors are often perceived as reckless or unstable — until they succeed. This perception, however, is gradually shifting as global startup ecosystems mature and innovation becomes synonymous with progress. The real decision, therefore, lies not in which path is superior but in aligning one's temperament, values, and long-term goals with the demands of each route. Entrepreneurship may offer liberation, but it is not without sacrifice. Employment may provide security, but it can come at the cost of creative constraint. A reflective, context-aware approach — not blind aspiration — is essential for navigating this professional crossroads.
Question
How does the passage describe the social view towards entrepreneurship?
- A. Always supportive
- B. Unanimously dismissive
- C. Overwhelmingly negative
- D. Skeptical until proven successful (Correct answer)
Correct Answer
Option D — Skeptical until proven successful
Detailed Solution & Explanation
The correct answer is Skeptical until proven successful.
Key Points
- The passage observes that in many cultures steady employment is seen as the hallmark of success, while entrepreneurial ventures are regarded with reservation until they demonstrate results.
- That is a conditional scepticism, not outright rejection — which is why "unanimously dismissive" and "overwhelmingly negative" overstate the position.
- "Always supportive" contradicts the passage entirely.
Additional Information
- Watch the absolute qualifiers in the options — *always, unanimously, overwhelmingly*. A passage describing a nuanced social attitude rarely supports an unqualified claim, so such options are usually wrong.
- The correct option here contains a qualifier of its own ("until proven successful"), which matches the passage's conditional framing — a useful signal in inference questions.
- Inference means what follows from the text, not what is merely consistent with general knowledge about society.
Topics covered: Reading Comprehension Inference