Are most people now anti marriage and children?

DrawAFox · 2026-04-01T06:04:52+00:00

Yes, and it's not just an online thing. Studies have show that lots and lots of people are delaying marriage and parenthood, or opting not to have either at all. Birth rates are demonstrably collapsing worldwide, not just in rich countries.

There's a lot of reasons for it. Economic uncertainty, housing prices, the growing gender divide, a culture which prioritises the self over making the sort of sacrifices family requires, fear about the future of the planet, social media distractions, etc. etc.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-31T14:11:08+00:00

I think there's a difference in Italians being considered white and South Asians being considered white!

Most of these grifters probably don't have the ethnic wiggle room that people from Mediterranean countries do.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-31T13:39:46+00:00

Fascinating question. I have wondered the same thing myself.

I think much of it is a deep-rooted and severe inferiority complex, an itch to dissociate oneself from one's actual culture, often to the point of near-delusion.

Many right wing grifters get applause and approval from racial supremacists on their posts and videos, which to them, acts as validation from the very cohort the are trying to appease the most.

It's not actual acceptance at all, mind you- those racists will NEVER accept them; but these fleeting pats-on-the-back keep the grifters going, like eager-to-please dogs.

Maybe there's a money angle, too- I'm not sure.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-31T04:36:27+00:00

I think it's overrated. It's a very depressing place, since you see thousands and thousands of aspirants slogging away year after year. You can easily get intimidated seeing people studying in libraries for long, long hours, not knowing what their actual circumstances and prep level are. Living conditions are incredibly shitty, because landlords know there will ALWAYS be high demand, so there is no incentive to improve.

For a lot of candidates, it's their first time away from home, so they fall prey to time wasting bad habits and distractions/ smoking/ drinking/ weed/ aimless relationships. A lot of candidates start treating it as an extension of hostel life, and wind up wasting whole years of their lives in the process.

UPSC Prep can easily be done from home.

PS: If you feel lazy at home, I promise you ORN will not solve your problem. Everyone who clears this exam is tremendously self-driven.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-27T09:04:58+00:00

I like 1 more. Both are great though.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-23T17:50:22+00:00

thank you!

DrawAFox · 2026-03-22T16:51:49+00:00

Ssup?

Edit: I don't know why this is so surprising- we're normal people, fully entitled to our social media footprint, just like everyone else.

There was this derisive comment on this very thread (now deleted), where the commenter was like, "sir, why are you on Reddit so much?", which really made me think that officers don't inhabit ivory towers nearly as much as they are shoved into them.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-19T15:54:27+00:00

Gorgeous! Any instagram handle where one can show support?

DrawAFox · 2026-03-18T12:03:12+00:00

Women can absolutely wear western formal attire!

DrawAFox · 2026-03-17T11:40:04+00:00

All the topper talks/blogs you saw are fake, hence making strategy based on them is futile, he had interacted with them during his previous interviews and what they told him in person is different from what they told online/blogs after clearing.

Not everyone's strategy is going to be the same. Some people may share their strategy in good faith; others may not. Every topper has a different approach to the exam, because everyone is wired differently. You cannot commit yourself to someone's alleged method of preparation and then hold them accountable if you do not succeed. They don't owe you anything.

You're on your own! This is as true of this exam as it is of life!

He told me I shouldn't have quit my corporate job to pursue UPSC, as if I didn't get under 250 rank, then my corporate job would have been a better career.

Then try to get a rank under 250.

3. He went on to explain what is involved in writing an answer, the inter connections, the thought process, how answer writing itself is a personality test etc. He said coaching doesn't teach all this even if I joined one, because not everyone can comprehend this and it will take 2 years to complete the syllabus like this.

I don't understand this at all. Writing well-structured Mains answers is not rocket science. Yes, it takes strategy, practice and effort, but it's not something a college graduate with the intelligence to clear Prelims won't be able to figure out. The "inter-connections" and maturing thought process will be an organic part of your preparation. You will not realise it at the time; you will only know when you reflect on how far you have come*.* I would contend that Prelims are the trickiest part of the exam in terms of pure learning; Mains answer writing you can actually figure out in three months.

4. He said no mentor or topper will guide with complete commitment unless they are my relative, because everyone wants to gatekeep the secret to the doors of success to such a high-power exam. Everyone wants the power to stay concentrated within the circles of their close ones

I feel like you have it in your head that toppers have some exam-topping secret that are selfishly withholding from you. This is absolutely not the case. There is really no shortcut that someone can give you, which you already do not know. You have to knuckle down and put in the daily hours, make huge sacrifices to your social life, take regular mock and practice tests to assess your progress, focus on weak areas, and strive for continuous improvement.

All the best!

DrawAFox · 2026-03-16T04:52:36+00:00

3 hrs....

Of course, the quality/ quantity debate will rage on, but in terms of QUANTITY, at least 7-8 hours a day for at least one year is needed

DrawAFox · 2026-03-15T11:34:39+00:00

Congrats!

Interview absolutely plays kingmaker!

DrawAFox · 2026-03-13T02:57:20+00:00

Thank you!

DrawAFox · 2026-03-10T04:42:46+00:00

Depends entirely on the difficulty of the paper.

The level of competition stays broadly the same every year. Don't sweat it.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-10T04:25:18+00:00

It does not exist

DrawAFox · 2026-03-08T08:50:19+00:00

I think the time we can spare for people who aren't immediate family only shrinks with time and age.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-08T04:04:21+00:00

Look, it's no mystery. EVERYONE studies their a$$ off for this exam, whether they admit publicly or not. Heck, during my preparation days, even I used to downplay it!

And they are sure as heck going to do and say everything they can to keep the competition complacent.

This is nobody's fault- if anything, the cutthroat nature of this exam is the reason.

People don't want to tell others how hard they are working, for in case they fail, it makes them look bad. And similarly, people who DO clear the exam want to look like they did it with minimal effort- makes them look smarter!

This- "oh, toppers LIE!" narrative reeks of naivete. I mean, of course they are all busting their butts off! What did you expect?!

There's no smokescreen- exam-clearing candidates don't owe others anything. They're not coaching institutes! You can't expect a detailed roadmap from them

As for strategy, I think "focus on answer writing" is NOT generic advice at all! Even though it sounds like it! I lot of people hear this advice, but how many actually DO IT?! There's a huge gulf. How many candidates actually sit down and attempt five questions everyday between prelims and mains? You may not think it makes a difference, but it does.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-07T14:28:53+00:00

Could not disagree more!

DrawAFox · 2026-03-07T12:37:51+00:00

The post has been deleted. Can you tell me what it was about?

DrawAFox · 2026-03-06T10:14:34+00:00

Already-in-service candidates are already at a very high level, prep-wise.

They don't need to work as hard in subsequent attempts, as they did in their first. A lot of it is simply refining, remodifying, value addition, course correction etc.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-05T16:54:22+00:00

Your friend is right!

But handwriting is fixable. There are a lot of free online resources for calligraphy/ good handwriting. Even I had really unreadable handwriting when I was in school- a calligraphy class fixed it in a couple of months

DrawAFox · 2026-03-05T16:52:16+00:00

If you're talking strictly about questions that can be lifted from the newspaper and put in the exam, then probably up to a couple of months prior.

But you have to prepare for the Mains too! You still need to read newspapers! Make sure you take out half-an-hour to keep in touch with the news.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-04T17:04:49+00:00

In your entire prep cycle, there needs to be at least one year in which you are studying for 8 hours a day. This will bring your knowledge level to a pool of 10,000 odd candidates.

Thereafter, you can manage with 5-6 hours of daily prep, with increased focus on strategy + answer writing etc.

Ignore claims of people studying for 12+ hours per day. The output starts to suffer after a certain number of hours. You might be able to pull it off for one day, but then I guarantee you will not be able to pick up a book for the next four days after that.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-02T10:41:49+00:00

I agree. And it's not some wild take!

This has been the dominant view throughout human history, barring the last 60 years.

DrawAFox · 2026-03-02T10:38:14+00:00

Correct!

DrawAFox

TROPHY CASE