the only reason i enjoy hug people as much as i do today is because when i was in high school showing physical affection was mandatory. that was how you told them they had succeeded in breaking you out of your shell, and could now stop trying.

Just for the hell of it, if you want a well researched book about the value of all sorts of Rest to dispute that specific point.

“Being bad at stuff” is also so selective. The other kids are not expected to be two years ahead in math, but I am expected to be able to sit perfectly still for 4 hours and pay attention in an oxygen depleted room. Everybody has to have this nearly exact same skillset.

It’s not what society needs, not even what the industry needs in the workforce, but that is most convenient for the teachers.

We live in a society.

I remember when I was really, really young I hadn’t figured out all the nuanced definitions of the word “bad”. At some point (I think it was in Sunday school) I told an adult that I put cereal in the fridge once. They said that was bad. So then I was all like “fuck, I guess I’m going to hell”