Given below are three quotations of great thinkers. What do each of these quotations convey to you in the present context? (a) “Those who in trouble untroubled are, Will trouble trouble itself.” – Thiruvalluvar (b) “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” – William James (c) “The strength of a society is not in its laws, but in the morality of its people.” – Swami Vivekananda

Each quotation illuminates a facet of the inner life that sustains ethical action.

(a) Thiruvalluvar — equanimity

"Those who in trouble untroubled are, will trouble trouble itself." This Thirukkural verse extols equanimity: one who stays composed in adversity masters the adversity rather than being mastered by it. For a public servant, calmness during crises—floods, riots, pandemics—enables clear judgment and steady leadership.

(b) William James — attitude

"A human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." This affirms the power of a positive, growth mindset: circumstances are given, but our response is chosen. In administration, an officer who reframes constraints as challenges (as in turnaround stories of failing schools or districts) transforms outcomes.

(c) Swami Vivekananda — morality over law

"The strength of a society is not in its laws, but in the morality of its people." Law can compel behaviour, but only internalised morality and civic virtue make a society self-regulating. High compliance during voluntary movements (Swachh Bharat, honest tax-paying) shows that ethics achieves what enforcement alone cannot.

Conclusion

Composure in trouble, a chosen constructive attitude, and rooted morality together form the character on which both individual integrity and a strong society rest.