An Early Lesson.

I was about nine at the time and in primary school. I said something to my teacher and he replied by telling me that I was so sharp I was likely to cut myself. And then he looked away in a dismissive manner.

I remember struggling to discover some semblance of reason in a statement which seemed hopelessly irrational. He was, after all, a teacher and therefore to be taken seriously. But I was of a mind to take things literally in those days; I suppose most nine-year-olds are. Eventually I decided that the teacher was not overly bright, but that he had intended a backhanded compliment. In retrospect, I think I was probably right. And as an added bonus, I learned to understand the nature of sarcasm which came in useful later.