I spend a lot of time trying to teach my kids to live right. That there are rules and they need to follow them whether they like them or not. But somewhere along the line when we become adults we tend to decide some rules are good enough to be followed and others we either disregard or try to circumvent.
My question is why? Why do we decide which rules we are willing to follow and which ones apply to other people. When other people break the rules we rail at the fact it is unfair that they got away with it and benefited by breaking it and we were penalized by following it.
They say lack of rules will lead to anarchy however it seems most of us spend time working around them everyday, whether speeding on the highway, fudging numbers on taxes or lying to loved ones.
What would happen if everyone followed the rules? Think about it, it starts with breaking the small rules like fibbing to your parents or swiping that first piece of candy at the store. Then the more we get away with it the more we decide the rules are meant for everyone else. Eventually living by your own rules because the norm rather than the exception so why do we bother trying to teach kids to follow the rules?
My question would be “Who gets to make the rules, and why?”
In my house I make the rules, because it is my house. Sometimes the rules change, sometimes there is no need for that particular rule any more.
On a sales venue, well, they make the rules and if you want to play in their playground then you should be prepared to abide by their rules. Or, of course you can always take your toys somewhere else to play.
I think we waste a lot of potentially productive energy worrying about others breaking the rules. Judge not and all that. If ‘everybody’ really is breaking the rules and only the small fry ‘get caught’ there are two possible solutions for the small fry (1) don’t break the rules then you will not get caught, and (2) give careful thought to your situation because if a playing field is actively unbalanced then the marketplace is in a state of anarchy. That is not good for buyers or sellers.