For some time now, has been presumed

For some time now, has been presumed not to exist: the cynical conviction that everybody has an angle is considered wisdom. rationality, flexibility, diffidence, disinterestedness, insincerity

5 Explanations

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Md Atikur Rahman

What is function of "is considered wisdom"? I thought that it is the clue and fill he blank with "rationale"

Sep 24, 2019 • Comment

Adam

The key to that phrase is to identify *what* is considered wisdom. And here, it's that "everybody has an angle." This means that everybody attempts to put their own spin on things, so that information serves their own interests. No one, then, is capable of looking at facts objectively, or neutrally: everyone applies their own angle to the facts. That's considered "wisdom" in this age. No one can be disinterested.

Oct 5, 2019 • Reply

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Kinjal Shah

If having an angle means acting out of concern for yourself because you are not sincere, why is the answer not insincerity?

Jun 29, 2019 • Comment

Adam

Hey Kinjal:

The word in the blank is presumed "not to exist." So people don't think it exists. If insincerity did not exist, then everyone would be sincere. But that's the opposite meaning of the sentence. People think that everyone has an angle, and that no one is sincere. So sincerity does not exist. Insincerity, though, definitely does exist.
Hope that helps!

Jul 8, 2019 • Reply

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Szu-Chieh Wang

Why is "flexibility" incorrect? I was swinging between answer choice B (flexibility) and D (disinterestedness)... I thought the person who has flexibility could accept any different idea without bias. Would you please tell me what my problem is. Thank you very much!

Jul 4, 2017 • Comment

Adam

Hi Szu-Chieh,

Happy to help :) As I noted below, the phrase to "have an angle" means that you're acting out of concern for yourself, not for others. It means that you are not sincere, and that everything you do somehow serves yourself. This phrase does not have to do with flexibility or accepting different ideas.

If everybody has an angle, then no one is selfless, or "disinterested."

Jul 4, 2017 • Reply

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doesn't the colon in the sentence mean that the second part of the sentence is what "has been presumed not to exist"? not the opposite of cynical conviction?

Sep 11, 2015 • Comment

Adam

Colons, semi-colons, and em dashes ( -- ) serve simply grammatical functions. This text would mean the same thing if we replaced the colon with a period.

However, the phrase that comes after a colon usually explains or elaborates on whatever comes before the colon.

Here we have:

For some time now, disinterestedness has been presumed not to exist:

the cynical conviction that everybody has an angle is considered wisdom.

To "have an angle" means that you're acting out of concern for yourself, not for others. If everybody has an angle, then no one is selfless, or disinterested. (This is not the opposite of cynical conviction, as you've stated, but rather is indeed focusing on this "cynical conviction").

For more about the functions of colons, semi-colons, and dashes, see here:

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/semi-colons-colons-and-dashes/

Oct 3, 2015 • Reply

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Chris Lele