I've never heard that before, and it's valuable advice. In a way, Shimano has made breaking a chain far easier than before, all so we can shift easily. Perhaps they've gone too far. Breaking a chain is more inconvenient than hard shifting is. It could lead to injury!

And yes, I'm often the straight man, but most people don't pick up on it. When I'm in class, I ask the "stupid questions" because I know what others want to ask but don't want to appear dumb. Or I ask the stupid questions because I sense when something is unclear to others.