Serious Problems

MBAsa wrote:I'm having a bit of a tough time understanding the solutions to this problem.

Help anyone??

People with serious financial problems are so worried about money that they cannot be happy. Their misery makes everyone close to them-family, friends, and colleagues-unhappy as well. Only if their financial problems are solved can they and those around them be happy. Which one of the following statements can be properly inferred from the passage?


A. Only serious problems make people unhappy.
B. People who solve their serious financial problems will be happy.
C. People who do not have serious financial problems will be happy.
D. If people are unhappy, they have serious financial problems.
E. If people are happy, they do not have serious financial problems.


I went for B, don't see why i'm wrong

What is the source? I feel it can be C or D

IMO Only E can be right.

A. what is serious problems?
B. We don't know what other factors might make someone unhappy, so not having serious financial problems does not guarantee happiness.
C. Same as B
D. Again, there might be some other things that make someone unhappy.
E. This for sure is right, because if you've a have serious financial problems, you can't be happy. --> if you're happy, you don't have any serious financial problem.

Hope this helps!
Cheers,

Yes, I am seeing answer E as well.

This is a formal logic problem, common to the nefarious LSAT.

A leads to B, and B leads to C.

Serious financial problems leads to can't be happy. Unhappy person leads to others being unhappy. If financial problems solved, person CAN BE happy. Happy person COULD leads to happy people around them.

A) Only serious problems? We are talking about financial problems here. Too broad.
B) People who solve serious financial problems WILL BE -- a gauraunteed outcome.... or is it? Can is the very hidden word in the stem. "Can" indicates that it is possible they will be happy, not not gauraunteed.
C) This is a reverse logic trap. If not B, then not A... it is assuming that the condition that occurs after the cause (the effect), will lead to the cause happening. Not necesarrily true.
D) Again, logic trap. If you are not happy, you have serious financial problems. If B, then A? Not necesarily true.
E) This kind of goes against the logic of the problem. If you are happy, they you do not have serious financial problems... ok... because reading the stem, having serious financial problems leads to unhappiness. So, if you are happy, then how could that be the result of having serious financial problems?

This problem is a little tricky.. but pay particular attention to key words (can) and the order of the logic. If A, then B, If B, then C... kind of like quant logic principles at play too.