Introduction / Context:
This question is based on interpreting a proverb: 'Fortune favors the brave.' We are asked which conclusion logically follows from this statement. The first conclusion says that risks are necessary for success. The second conclusion says that cowards die many times before their death. The task is to relate each conclusion to the meaning of the proverb and see which one truly follows from it.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Statement: 'Fortune favors the brave.'
- Conclusion 1: Risks are necessary for success.
- Conclusion 2: Cowards die many times before their death.
- We interpret 'fortune' as success or good outcomes in life, and 'brave' as those who take bold actions, often involving risk.
Concept / Approach:
Proverb-based reasoning questions require understanding the underlying idea expressed by the proverb. 'Fortune favors the brave' suggests that success tends to come to people who act courageously rather than to those who are timid or overly cautious. This has a natural connection to risk-taking: bravery often means facing risk. We must check which conclusion captures this core idea and which conclusion introduces unrelated or extra information.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the proverb. 'Fortune favors the brave' means that success or good luck is more likely to come to those who act with courage, initiative, and willingness to take chances, rather than to those who are passive or fearful.
Step 2: Examine Conclusion 1: 'Risks are necessary for success.' Bravery usually involves taking risks or facing danger rather than avoiding it. If fortune (success) favors the brave, it implies that taking courageous steps, which often include risk, is an important part of achieving success. The proverb therefore supports the idea that some level of risk-taking is necessary to gain fortune.
Step 3: While the proverb does not use the word 'risk' directly, its central message is that success comes to those who dare. So, interpreting this as 'Risks are necessary for success' is consistent with the meaning of the proverb. Hence, Conclusion 1 reasonably follows.
Step 4: Examine Conclusion 2: 'Cowards die many times before their death.' This line is essentially a different proverb or idea, often associated with the notion that fearful people suffer repeatedly in their imagination. However, this specific wording is not stated nor clearly implied by 'Fortune favors the brave.'
Step 5: While one might infer that cowards do not get fortune, the statement about 'dying many times before their death' goes beyond the original proverb and introduces an additional concept not contained in the given statement. Hence, Conclusion 2 does not logically follow from the statement alone.
Verification / Alternative check:
To see if Conclusion 2 is independent, note that it could be true or false regardless of whether 'Fortune favors the brave' is true. The original statement does not talk about how many times cowards 'die' or suffer; it only describes how fortune relates to bravery.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Neither conclusion follows) is wrong because Conclusion 1 clearly connects to the core meaning of the proverb, which encourages bravery and, by implication, risk-taking to achieve success.
Option B (Only conclusion 2 follows) is wrong because Conclusion 2 is an unrelated proverb and not implied by the given statement.
Option C (Either 1 or 2 follows) is wrong as both are not equally supported; only Conclusion 1 captures the meaning of the original statement.
Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to treat any proverb about bravery and cowardice as interchangeable, even though they express subtly different ideas.
Another mistake is to accept a conclusion simply because it sounds wise or familiar, instead of checking whether it directly follows from the given statement.
Final Answer:
Since the proverb directly encourages bravery as a condition for attaining fortune (success), it supports the idea that taking risks is necessary to succeed. Therefore, only conclusion 1 follows.
Discussion & Comments