Critical reasoning — identify implicit assumptions Statement: “The successful man has the ability to judge himself correctly.” Assumptions to evaluate: I. Inability to judge oneself correctly causes failure. II. Judging others is of no use to a successful person. III. A successful person cannot make a wrong judgement.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: None is implicit

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The statement attributes one ability to successful people: accurate self-judgement. Our task is to see whether broader claims about failure, judging others, or infallibility are necessary assumptions, or merely tempting extrapolations.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Claim: Successful people can judge themselves correctly.
  • I: Failure results from inability to judge oneself.
  • II: Judging others is useless for success.
  • III: Successful people never make wrong judgements.


Concept / Approach:
From “X has ability A,” do not infer negations or universals about other abilities or absolute error-free performance. The scope is descriptive, not exhaustive or exclusive.



Step-by-Step Solution:

I is not required: many factors cause failure; the statement neither asserts nor needs a sole cause.II is not required: the statement is silent about judging others; usefulness of other abilities is not addressed.III is not required: having the ability to judge oneself correctly does not mean one never errs; it could be a tendency, not perfection.


Verification / Alternative check:
Rephrase: “One trait of many successful people is sound self-assessment.” This stands without I–III.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Any combination or “All” imports claims the original statement never needed to make.


Common Pitfalls:
Equating a cited trait with an exhaustive definition of success; turning a capacity into a claim of infallibility.



Final Answer:
None is implicit

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