Could you explain why you elected to depart from the short runway knowing that the longer was available?
This is pure intimidation. You could ask the same question for just about every decision made in the flight deck. Could you explain why:
-you derated
-you flexed
-you took an intersection
-you loaded that extra tonne of cargo
-you flew a visual approach when there was an ILS available
-why you did not upload an extra tonne of fuel on a CAVOK day
-why you did not land yourself on said CAVOK day
-why you came out of bed in the first place
In the end, Fuel left in the bowser and runway behind you is of no use to you.
A nice but absolutely useless quote.
In commercial aviation you have a responsibility as a captain to operate as safely AND as efficiently as possible. As such the above quote is not applicable. As a pilot and as a captain, you weigh the risks and take a responsibly informed decision. It takes as much airmanship to depart from the longer runway as it takes to depart from the shorter one.