The conventional view is that A-F grades motivate students and provide a clear measure of performance. The unpopular opinion is that grades destroy intrinsic motivation. They shift a student's focus from "What can I learn?" to "What do I need to do to get the 'A'?" This encourages "cramming and purging" information rather than genuine, long-term understanding. It also teaches students to fear failure, which is the single most important part of the learning process. A system based on narrative feedback or simple pass/fail based on mastery would create more resilient and curious learners.