There are many things that I learned in school: math, some business, computer graphics, much of those types of lessons I use regularly. There is one thing that I don’t like knowing. By itself, it might not be all bad, but I saw it abused many times.

In elementary school, we had to take open response tests and write portfolio entries. The tests consisted of a question that we had to answer with as many words as possible. It wasn’t enough to say 2+2 is 4, you had to explain it. The portfolios could be similar, but they usually involved writing about an event or experience in your life. Again, the longer the better. Quality counted, too, but quantity was stressed more often.

Since no one I knew of wanted to sit and write and write, this opened the door for some “poetic licensing.” For my part, I was truthful in what happened, but I still consider it somewhat untruthful. The reason why is simple, that is not how I write. Yes, I can go on and on, but I don’t do that on a consistent basis.

I tended to be more to the point on something school related, and I usually didn’t elaborate like the teachers told us to on school work. That kind of elaboration was and is saved for having fun, or showing off.

I guess I knew already knew how to “elaborate,” so it was actually honed, not taught. I can’t call that “skill” useless, since I still use it from time to time. As long as I remain truthful, I guess it’s alright. What bugs me about it now is how it opens the door to outright lying.

Kind of like a fish growing each time it is described, adding details that aren’t real becomes more fluid. I can see why the teachers taught that, but it doesn’t mean that I fully agree with it.