General Knowledge MCQs
Topic Notes: General Knowledge
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
1
Who famously said, 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever'?
Answer:
John Keats
This is the famous first line of John Keats' poem 'Endymion' (1818).
2
Who said, 'It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both'?
Answer:
Niccolò Machiavelli
Machiavelli explores this concept in his political treatise 'The Prince', arguing that fear is a more reliable motivator than love for a ruler.
3
Who stated, 'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit'?
Answer:
Will Durant
Often misattributed to Aristotle, this summary of Aristotle's ideas was actually written by the historian Will Durant in 'The Story of Philosophy'.
4
Who said, 'Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier'?
Answer:
Mother Teresa
This quote is a core part of the philosophy of Mother Teresa (Saint Teresa of Calcutta) regarding service and charity.
5
Who declared, 'The child is father of the man'?
Answer:
William Wordsworth
This line appears in Wordsworth's poem 'My Heart Leaps Up', meaning our childhood shapes who we become as adults.
6
Who said, 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn'?
Answer:
Marlon Brando
Clark Gable delivered this iconic line as the character Rhett Butler in the 1939 film 'Gone with the Wind'.
7
Who said, 'If music be the food of love, play on'?
Answer:
William Shakespeare
This is the opening line of Shakespeare's play 'Twelfth Night', spoken by Duke Orsino.
8
The phrase 'Big Brother is watching you' comes from which novel?
Answer:
1984
This phrase is from George Orwell's dystopian novel '1984', referring to the omnipresent surveillance of the totalitarian regime.
9
Who said, 'An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind'?
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi
This quote is widely attributed to Gandhi to illustrate the futility of revenge, though some researchers suggest the exact phrasing might be apocryphal.
10
Who claimed, 'Imagination is more important than knowledge'?
Answer:
Isaac Newton
Einstein said this in an interview in 1929, arguing that knowledge is limited to what we know now, while imagination embraces the entire world.