There will be a prize of half a crown for the longest essay, irrespective of any possible merit.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A prize is offered for the longest essay regardless of quality, satirizing bureaucratic or academic incentives.
- In plain terms
- The longest essay wins, not the best one.
- What can you take from it?
- Bureaucratic rules can reward the wrong things.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What should be rewarded in contests?
- Does length indicate quality?
Another view
Length can sometimes correlate with thoroughness.
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