I was sent to the principals office several times in elementary school because my teachers thought I was trying to be a smart ass. Because I would do what they literally, exactly asked me to do, and not what they apparently meant.

I was always very confused because I honestly believed I was doing my best to follow instructions.

It didn’t help that I grew up in the American southeast, a region where patterns of speech are very indirect and lean heavily on idioms and metaphors.

I was in middle school before I figured out what was happening and did not get into trouble in that way anymore. I’m in my 40s now but I’m still a literal-first thinker. And yeah, I’m a programmer.

[–] tja@sh.itjust.works 4 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

So you would have done the same as the kid?

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 21 hours ago

I would have done the same right now as an adult.

[–] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 3 points 19 hours ago

As a child, I'd probably get from context what was actually wanted since it probably complemented in-class lessons. But in primary school, I also sometimes liked to push the limits of what was asked. So I might do this and also put what was intended to the side.