I understand there are quite a few young people on this forum, and I want to offer a little advice that may prove helpful. When I was in school, I struggled with the issue of being honest vs. getting good grades. Lies are frequently taught in schools, and it is possible for even honest authors to make mistakes that may not be corrected for quite a while.

If you don't encounter anything you perceive to be untrue, you needn't worry about this topic. But if you do encounter false teaching, you need to understand context.

The implicit context of any test or quiz is: "What have you been taught?" That's it. The context is not "What do you believe to be true?" Trust me, teachers don't want you marking what you believe when it differs from what you've been taught. Neither do school boards or principals.

I'm not talking about discussion - that's another matter. I'm talking about tests. If you are asked as an individual what you think, that's a different matter. But on a test, it is not a lie to give the answer they want. Occasionally, one encounters true answers on multiple choice tests which differ from what is taught. Even in this case, the honest answer, in the context of "What have you been taught?" is not the truth; it is the lie provided in the textbook.

If this troubles you or if you doubt me, ask any honest teacher you know or maybe your parents.