... I had very different experiences to those that predominate today. My society was very authoritarian, so if any of the authorities said you were guilty, you were, even if you weren’t. Once they pronounced you guilty, that was it. Game over. The point was never to say anything that raised their ire.
The authorities generally didn’t believe reasons, when they were given any. My capacity to invent reasons was very poor, perhaps as a result.
“Where is your hymn book?”
–”I’m not sure. I bought it with me as I do every day.”
That was the kind of “reason” I used to give, on the basis that the authority wanted a response but wasn’t going to pay attention to its content.
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