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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/SmellyCat0007 on 2025-06-01 20:13:28+00:00.
Back in high school, I had a science teacher who hated when students explained things in their own words. I loved writing creative, real-world examples in my answers, made things easier to remember and showed I understood the concept.
But after a test where I got marked down for not quoting the textbook exactly, she said:
From now on, stick to the definitions from the book. Word for word. No paraphrasing.
Okay, fair enough.
So for the next test, I followed her instructions to the letter. Every answer was verbatim from the textbook. Even the questions that clearly needed some explanation or thought, I just dropped in the definition and moved on.
I ended up getting a lower grade than usual. She marked a few answers incomplete or not fully explained.
I politely reminded her that she told us to use only textbook definitions, nothing extra. Showed her the note I wrote down from class. Her response?
Well, I meant stick to the definition, but also explain your understanding.
Oh. So now it's both?
After that, the rule quietly disappeared and we were encouraged to use both the textbook and our own understanding.
Sometimes, doing exactly what you're told is the best way to prove a point.