Introduction / Context:
This aphorism equates success with resilience after failure (“hitting the bottom”). The hidden premise is about the virtue of persistence. We must check which assumptions are necessary for this definition to be meaningful and which go beyond it.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Statement focuses on “bounce back” — recovery/persistence after setbacks.
- Assumption I: Success involves sustained effort in spite of failure.
- Assumption II: Failure is wholly unacceptable.
Concept / Approach:
- The statement valorizes learning from and rebounding after failure; it does not condemn failure per se.
- Thus, persistence (I) is required, while an absolute rejection of failure (II) is not.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Interpretation: “How much you bounce up” presupposes perseverance. Without persistence, there is no bounce. Hence I is necessary.Assumption II claims failure cannot be acceptable. But the saying actually incorporates failure as part of the success story. Therefore II is not implicit.
Verification / Alternative check:
If we remove I (persistence), the definition collapses. If we remove II, the statement still holds, as it treats failure as a setup for rebound, not as a taboo.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Only II — contradicts the spirit of the quote.Either/Neither/Both — misread the proverb's emphasis on resilience.
Common Pitfalls:
Equating acknowledgment of failure with endorsing it; here failure is a stage, not an end-state.
Final Answer:
Only assumption I is implicit
Discussion & Comments