Dear UPSC Aspirants,

All UPSC essays are not similar. Though the majority of them are philosophical or abstract in nature, they cannot be answered merely with data, reports, or government policies as fodder. They demand something more from you — your ability to pause, reflect, and translate life lessons — read, heard, seen, or lived — into lucid and thoughtful language.

Topics like “Best Lessons Are Learnt Through Bitter Experiences”, which appeared in UPSC CSE 2025, do not test how much you know; they test how deeply you have understood life. One would not be wrong to say that attempting such a topic demands analysis with empathy and an ability to look inward before writing outward.

But first, let’s briefly talk about the challenges with such a topic: though it is a simple topic, it de

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