#24 - If one wants to succeed, then one should act as though

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Complete Question Explanation

Strengthen—SN. The correct answer choice is (B)

This stimulus contains an argument about the connection between self-confidence and success. If one is to be successful, then one should act as if he or she is genuinely confident in his or her skills. This reasoning is conditional, and can be diagrammed as follows:

• Sufficient Necessary
  
  Succeed Act genuinely confident in one’s own abilities

The author supports this conditional conclusion by stating that success is easier to obtain for people who genuinely believe themselves capable than by those filled with self doubts. As we think about the connection between the stimulus and the conclusion, we should note that there is a distinction between acting as though we are confident in our abilities, and genuinely believing that we are capable of succeeding. It is likely easier to act confident on the outside than it is to believe oneself to be capable. To strengthen this argument, we need to connect acting confident with feelings of self-confidence.  It is likely easier to act confident on the outside than it is to believe oneself to be capable. To strengthen this argument, we need to connect acting confident with feelings of self-confidence.

Answer choice (A): This answer choice connects projecting confidence with having few self-doubts. The stimulus does explain that people who believe they are capable are different than people who are filled with self-doubt. However, it does not say that they necessarily have few self-doubts, just that they do not have an abundance of them. This answer choice then, does not directly connect with the facts as presented in the stimulus, and does not impact the argument.

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. By stating that pretend confidence can result in genuine internal feelings of confidence, it links up the premise and the conclusion. Since success comes from genuine confidence, and genuine confidence comes from acting confident, it makes sense to say that success requires at minimum acting confident.

Answer choice (C): The argument suggests that success is based on controllable actions: acting confident. If it is based on actions, then it is not based solely on luck. This answer choice would weaken the argument because it would suggest that acting confident has no actual relationship to success.

Answer choice (D): The stimulus is about how one ought to behave in order to get certain results. Therefore, facts about how people do behave do not impact an argument on how people should behave. This problem comes up regularly on the LSAT, and it is important to be aware if an argument is drawing a conclusion about how things are, or about how things should be.

Answer choice (E): The issue of how one becomes confident is not relevant to the discussion of acting confident. The source of the internal feelings do not support or harm the argument as given. The link that is the key to the argument is the link between acting confident and feeling confident. We do not need to strengthen the link between confidence and success, or explain how they got connected.