PrepTest 150, Section 2, Question 18
Some people prefer to avoid facing unpleasant truths(50 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(6 more words not shown)
- Athey will sometimes(13 more words not shown)
- Bthey will sometimes(18 more words not shown)
- Cthose in the(12 more words not shown)
- Dthose in the(8 more words not shown)
- Ethe result will(7 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Treating me how you want to be treated may not be how I want to be treated.
Imagine wanting a doctor to tell you the unpleasant news straight. You would rather know what is happening than discover later that someone hid the truth to spare your feelings. A person who wants painful information withheld would prefer the opposite treatment.
What we’re looking for
That is the conflict here. The first group dislikes being forced to face unpleasant truths. If its members follow their own preferences when treating everyone else, they will withhold some truths from people in the second group. But those people specifically dislike having information knowingly withheld. The completion should point out that applying the first group's preferences won't please the second group.
Working the answers
- A
They may withhold an unpleasant truth, but we aren't told that they would otherwise be willing to speak in that situation. Perhaps they already dislike discussing painful matters. A adds a claim about their willingness apart from the directive, instead of drawing the supported conclusion about how the other group will receive their treatment.
- BCorrect
The first group will sometimes offer the very treatment the second group dislikes: withholding painful information. Following your own preference doesn't ensure you satisfy someone whose preference differs. B draws the consequence of the two groups' stated wishes without inventing how anyone responds afterward.
- C
They could follow the same principle and still act differently. Someone who wants full honesty could treat others with full honesty because that is how they want to be treated. Someone who prefers protection from painful information could withhold it for the same reason. Different preferences don't require entirely different principles.
- D
Disliking the treatment doesn't tell us what the second group will do in response. They might ask for the truth, object to the concealment, or react in some other way. Nothing establishes that they will respond by hiding unpleasant truths themselves.
- E
The second group's stated preference gives us a reason to expect disapproval when painful information is withheld. The directive doesn't eliminate the disagreement about desirable treatment. E overlooks the conflict that makes B follow.
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