You haven’t understood it. Read it again!

After all this time, I can finally understand what the poor teachers were referring to when, somewhat bored or tired, they stopped us in our ramblings (often nonsense beside the point) with a You haven’t understood it. Read it again! .

At the time, I thought they were being insensitive or putting on airs of superiority. Because, after all, why was it so hard for them to correct us on the spot and show/give us the correct answer? I found out, rather belatedly, that by doing so, they were not letting us become helpless, perhaps not even victims of manipulation if you get to keep doing the thinking exercise with your own mind, and not keep waiting for the right answer from someone else.

Sometimes, I wish a teacher would come along and say to me and to others You haven’t understood it. Read it again!. I don't know why, but it no longer seems to me that what's going on today can be easily explained with a I'm in a hurry, I need the answer now.

It's a contest of the rested, for many years now, and I'm often afraid I'll end up explaining how and where to look up the definition of a word you don't know (I've already had to explain that 12 a.m. is not noon).

So, I don't arrogate anything to myself, I'm just sharing in the already growing fear (of others) and thanking (a bit late, admittedly) all the teachers who said You haven’t understood it. Read it again!. Kudos to you!