What’s the most ridiculous excuse you’ve ever heard from someone who failed an exam?

I think, in college, maybe I had small somatic trauma reactions quite often in all subjects - any person, settings, reason. Is that why my performance was slightly inconsistent at times? Triggers of mild dissociation, fog, freeze, shut down.
Why do some people feel that their salary is more than just money? What factors make it a measure of worth or quality of life?
How can someone genuinely interested in understanding conservative viewpoints start, especially if they find popular conservative media unappealing?