When It’s Okay to Creatively Break The Rules

April 24, 2020,

Rules are in place for a reason.

Mostly for good reason. Sometimes for not. Either way, whenever they are broken, there is often a price to be paid.

A quote regarding rules is globally known but perhaps often misapplied.

General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American five-star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army.

He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines Campaign, which made him and his father Arthur MacArthur Jr. the first father and son to be awarded the medal.

He was one of only five to rise to the rank of General of the Army in the US Army, and the only one conferred the rank of field marshal in the Philippine Army.

General MacArthur was once famously quoted as saying, “Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind”

We don’t consider ourselves as lazy.

Hopefully you don’t see yourself that way either.

fciwomenswrestling.com femcompetitor.com, fcielitecompetitor.com pexels.com Andrea-Piacquadio-photo

Yes, it may be cool to defy norms and rules but in some cases it is not wise.

Analyzed, in short, rules are made to be broken because if everyone travels within the bounds of given rules, no horizons will ever be expanded. We, as a society, have the task of constantly challenging the rules and making sure we step outside of them when we mean no harm and act in the advantage of our fellow man.

That quote was found at Quora.

A reader at www.quora.com makes a good point. He shares, “They say this because it is a virtue of creativity to think outside the box. They do not say to behave immorally, but morality is a matter of opinion. Also they don’t say to act illegally, which is a matter of a country’s law.

To truly be creative and think outside the box you have to do away with both morals and laws, however, if too many do this, then the world tumbles into anarchy and chaos. That’s why we loudly applaud the ones who break the rules and progress society, and we loudly punish the ones who break the rules and only get personal gain (or none at all).”

That is an exceptional point.

Our interpretation is that in terms of creativity and engaging in a process that will benefit society, conventional and sometimes outdated rules are made to be broken.

On the other hand, breaking rules that harm others and creates chaos is to be completely avoided.

At psychologytoday.com, Ms. Marianna Pogosyan Ph.D. makes a great point. She surmises, “All human groups have rules or unwritten standards of behavior. What’s so fascinating about rules is how much we take them for granted. Rules help us predict each other and to coordinate. We are constantly following them without recognizing that we’re following rules. For example, we are both wearing clothes to this interview. We obey stop lights. In restaurants, we don’t take food off people’s plates. In elevators, we don’t face backwards. I think rules are among our most important inventions. We all have them. We all need them. But some groups need stronger rules to survive.”

What we are beginning to surmise is that the more chaotic the world becomes, the more that new rules are being created.

Created.

Let’s stay with creativity because breaking the rules of law and social engagement is mostly not wise or beneficial.

Encouraging our youth in particular not to always think in conventional terms greatly enhances society. That is how new inventions and technology are created.

Never forget the importance of having fun.

Creatively breaking the rules provides a society with new pathways to improve their lifestyle and health while they enjoy it along the way.

Nowhere has this played out more perfectly than on the Social Media.

As shared by USA Today, “Defined by their large social media followings, this class of marketers produces content typically awash with the flossy trappings of young money: trendy designer outfits modeled in exotic locations; marble countertops under carefully crafted flat-lays of pricey beauty products. Even the Instagram mavens with a grittier, every-girl style, all Polaroid grunginess, are dotted with on-brand T-shirts perfectly half-tucked into the hot jeans du jour.”

They conclude that the most successful influencers can command more than six figures for brand campaigns, but even those just starting out can earn a couple of hundred to a few thousand dollars.

These Social Media Influencers, mostly female, didn’t get wealthy by playing by the rules. Their creativity inspired massive change for retailers and consumers alike and helped propel an industry where young creative minds can make tons of cash and have fun while doing it.

Let’s consider another area of creatively going against the norm, not following conventional rules and greatly benefiting society in the process.

When you think of foods, it is become so pervasive to speak of gluten free, no sugars added, dairy free, plant based, pro-biotic and the like.

To some degree it all started with the veganism movement.

The team at vegansociety.com educates, “In November 1944, Donald Watson (right and below) called a meeting with five other non-dairy vegetarians, including Elsie Shrigley, to discuss non-dairy vegetarian diets and lifestyles. Though many held similar views at the time, these six pioneers were the first to actively found a new movement – despite opposition. The group felt a new word was required to describe them; something more concise than ‘non-dairy vegetarians’. Rejected words included ‘dairyban’, ‘vitan’, and ‘benevore’. They settled on ‘vegan’, a word that Donald Watson later described as containing the first three and last two letters of ‘vegetarian’…”

Aren’t we glad the early vegan pioneers thought outside of the box?

Certainly.

So we are certain you are going to hear the expression that rules are made to be broken.

It is important to differentiate between what is good for a society and not.

In terms of societal rules that help a society function, they are there for reason, in most cases very good ones and those rules should be followed.

In terms of creativity, for each younger generation it is important to think outside of the box and create new rules of engagement which in the back of your mind, you know that one day those very rules will be enhanced or broken and for the betterment of society?