LSAT 118 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q8

LR Question 8 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Trust, which cannot be sustained in the absence of …

QUESTION TYPE: Must Be True

FACTS:

1. Trust requires mutual respect.
2. Any long-lasting relationship requires trust.
3. Personal relationships also require affinity.
4. Long-lasting personal relationships require mutual respect and affinity.

ANALYSIS: Let’s turn the facts into conditional statements.

1. Trust -> Mutual respect
2. Long-lasting relationship -> Trust
3. Personal relationship -> Affinity
4. Long-lasting personal relationship -> Affinity AND Mutual Respect

It’s basically giving us a bunch of necessary conditions for long-lasting personal relationships. They require trust, mutual respect, and affinity.

Note that it does not mean that if you have trust, mutual respect, and affinity, you’ll have a long-lasting relationship. That’s reversing the relationship.

Think of it like: To graduate, you need 120 credits. That does not mean that if you have 120 credits, you automatically graduate. Maybe you also need residency requirements, paperwork, etc.

___________

1. CORRECT. Since affinity is required for an enduring personal relationship, that friendship cannot be long-lasting.
2. This is an incorrect reversal. It says: Mutual respect → Trust. The stimulus says: Trust → Mutual respect.
3. Also an incorrect reversal. It says: Mutual respect and Affinity → Long-lasting relationship. The stimulus has it the other way around.
4. The stimulus compares requirements for personal and professional relationships. It never compares how long they actually last.
5. Affinity is necessary, not sufficient. A marriage can have natural affinity and still fail because it lacks trust or mutual respect.