LSAT Explanation PT 45, S4, Q16: People are not happy unless they

LSAT Question Stem

The statements above most strongly support which one of the following? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be True question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the passage and break down the information provided. The passage states that people are not happy unless they feel needed by others. However, in modern society, most people can only achieve this feeling of indispensability within the sphere of family and friendship because they know that their job could be done by thousands of others.

Now, let's identify the question type and what it's asking us to do. This is a Must Be True (MBT) question, which means we need to find the answer choice that is most strongly supported by the information provided in the passage.

Let's go through each answer choice:

a) This answer choice is too extreme. While it's true that people need to feel needed to be happy, the passage states that most people can achieve this feeling within the sphere of family and friendship. So, it's not accurate to say that people who realize others could fill their occupational roles cannot achieve any happiness in their lives.

b) This answer choice is actually the opposite of what the passage suggests. The passage implies that family life and friendship are essential for most people's happiness, so the nature of modern society does not undermine the importance of family life to an individual's happiness.

c) This answer choice is not supported by the passage. While it's true that most people can only feel needed within the sphere of family and friendship, we don't know if they are actually happy in their private lives. The passage only tells us the conditions necessary for happiness, not whether most people are happy or not.

d) This answer choice is out of scope. The passage doesn't discuss people's appreciation for their jobs; it focuses on the feeling of being needed and its relationship to happiness.

e) This is the correct answer. Since most people (more than 50%) can only feel needed within the sphere of family and friends, and they are only able to feel happy when they are needed, we can infer that fewer than a majority of people in modern society can find happiness outside the sphere of private interpersonal relationships.

In conclusion, answer choice E is the correct answer because it is most strongly supported by the information provided in the passage. It states that fewer than a majority of people in modern society can find happiness outside the sphere of private interpersonal relationships, which aligns with the fact that most people can only feel needed (and thus happy) within the sphere of family and friendship.