Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Following the Rules

I'll admit it: I'm a stickler for rules. When rules are made and clearly outlined, I don't like to break them. Especially when the rules are actually quite simple to follow, I don't like it when people break the rules. If you have ever played a sport with me, you will recognize this aspect of me. Whenever a rule is broken, I get uppity. Even if in the course of the game it doesn't really matter, I feel the need to address the problem. If it is a rampant condition, it has the potential of ruining the whole game for me. In fact, sometimes it can ruin a whole day, even though in the long run the game doesn't matter at all. I'm aware it is not a good mindset to have, but the rules are there for a reason.

Anyway, there have been several events recently that have triggered these thoughts. Going to school at BYU, you have to agree to this little agreement called the Honor Code. Only, it's not actually a little thing. They take it very seriously, as they should. You can get kicked out of school for breaking it. And yet the mindset of many students is "As long as I don't get caught, it doesn't really matter." It's sad, really. Especially for those of us who have to stand up for the rules because if we don't we get in trouble, too. We don't want to offend people that bend the rules; we understand that there are cases where it seems justified to break a rule that is more of a line far back from the cliff than a hard and fast drop-off point. However, that doesn't mean it is in fact OK. Most of the time, the offenders realize this too, but sadly are much more worried about getting caught than the fact that they are actually breaking a rule that they agreed to follow as part of their acceptance to this excellent school. As long as the chances of being caught are small, too many are content with following most of the rules, which just makes life harder for the rest of us.

1 comment:

  1. True. I say: if one commits to a contract, one is bound by said contract.

    It is sad that one would choose to pretend they follow the rules instead of being honest which is a value they also say they will abide by. 2 birds with one stone. In a bad way.

    P.S: I'm not Dania, but write some more if you get the chance. I miss your rants.

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