Sure. You could get the gist, reading resources like Cliff’s notes, and sometimes the gist was actually quite clear and concise. What else did you need to know? Reading the whole book may have added a few things, but your perception of the plot, or understanding of the actions of the characters didn’t change much as long as the gist was concise. Still, you wondered what nuances you were missing by taking a shortcut, or only hearing one side.
So much is lost, omitted, or misconstrued with partial information, but there are times when a good portion is all you need. You can, perhaps, fill in the blanks when things are obvious. Few words, and one scene can reveal a lot from which an opinion can be formed.
Those teachers also promoted the necessity of reading on, and in between the lines; exploring what preceded a statement, and what followed. Whole stories were promoted and preferred.
Obvious situations needed no further, lengthy explanations. Right and wrong, good and evil, were clear. Challenging right, or justifying wrong revealed impure motives, arrogance, or a lack of integrity. What side you chose and why, involved bringing your own personal experiences, conscience, and biases to the story.
Genuine, thoughtful, unbiased explanations about the use of words and phrases, never created confusion, suspicion, doubt, or more questions. Sometimes, they confirmed what you were thinking all along—even if it made you look at a beloved or heroic character differently.
Clarity, in the form of additional commentary, exposed more than you may have wanted to know, or be known, but it also made everything make sense--as truth always does. A guilt-ridden, or damage-control driven attempt to clarify, or clear the air, did everything but that, and actually made the air exponentially foggier.
You don’t have to like a thing, or agree with an action, practice, habit, or rule, but the obvious truth of it is never begging to be liked, accepted, or acknowledged. It just IS. Skirting and dancing around it, or trying to hide or deny it, just makes things worse, and guarantees the digging of a bigger hole in which to fall.
Truth is never confused, although it is often manipulated or rejected, in favor of excuses.
It’s best not to challenge the truth, or think it can be outsmarted. THE truth can only defend and support what’s right and righteous. It won’t help to justify error, no matter how long a thing has been accepted.
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