❝Norms and rules are not exactly the same thing, although they are often used interchangeably in everyday language. The main difference lies in their purpose and application. While rules are specific guidelines that indicate how a person should behave in specific situations, norms are broader guidelines that reflect values and expectations of behavior within a group or society.❞
I was a little confused about whether norms and rules are exactly the same thing. I took the paragraph above from here. By the way, in order to read that page, I had to watch 20 seconds of advertising, which is a rule of the site, or perhaps a requirement, but I wanted the information, so I followed the rule.
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I am not someone who likes to follow norm blindly, but I do believe they help make society a little more organized. If, with so many norms, the world in general is truly perverted, I don't want to imagine what it would be like without them.
I can break a norm as long as I believe that I am not hurting anyone or Am I causing any trouble for others, and if there are any consequences, I believe that I should accept them with honor.
A simple example: some time ago, I worked in the customer service department of a company, and one of the norms was not to use cell phones during working hours; they were supposed to be left turned off in the lockers.
Some days, very few to be honest, I complied with this norm, but most of the time I hid my phone in my clothes, which wasn't difficult, and I would secretly check it from time to time to see if I had any important news. Luckily, I never had any problems with this, although I was caught a couple of times. Some supervisors were very flexible with this norm in general and only gave a warning.
I know that some workers were reprimanded for this practice when they were caught by very strict supervisors, and they had the nerve to complain. If I had been reprimanded for this, I would have accepted it with honor, since I was breaking the norm. Even if I had been fired for this reason, I would have accepted my guilt because I was stepping out of line.
But there are norms that I believe should not be broken, especially if they are related to social order and the care of property that benefits all users, such as the norms of the Caracas subway system, which include: no eating inside the subway, no selling products inside the subway... It's terrible how these norms are broken every day and it becomes normalized, and furthermore, it contradicts the norms themselves, causing a lot of anarchy and disorder.
Now, when it comes to rules, I like to follow them to the letter. For example, here at Hive, if I participate in an initiative, I make sure to follow the rules, respecting the norms of each community. It's easy.
If you don't like the rules, then don't participate, but don't try to do things your way in a space that already has rules. Create your own space with your own rules so you can do whatever you want.
Games are another area where I consider it vital to follow the rules. Otherwise, many games would not make sense. Board games, for example, are governed by rules, and thanks to these guidelines, it is possible to make sense of each game, as this establishes limits and objectives. The rules in a game define fair play. Anyone who “wins” a game without following them is a cheater. Ultimately, they are not the winner; the victory does not belong to them.
As for instructions, I generally like to follow them, although not like a robot. Here are some exceptions. I think that in some cases it is advisable to follow them to the letter. I'll use the same example from when I worked at the customer service company: if I hadn't followed the instructions given in the training course on how to use the company's internal system, I would never have learned how to use it or quickly developed the skills I needed to do the job efficiently.
If I'm going to use a product, I like to follow the instructions. For example, with hair removal cream, remember to read the instructions and follow them so you don't end up with no skin. With hair dye, remember to read the label and follow the instructions so you don't leave it on too long and your hair starts to melt or break.
If I'm going to make a cake from a box mix that comes almost ready to go and I just have to add a couple of ingredients and bake it at a certain temperature, I follow the instructions, lest it turn out inedible.
When using tools, it's also important to follow instructions, especially if they need to be assembled or use electricity.
Now, when it comes to cooking, I don't like to follow instructions to the letter. Most of the time, I like to take a more relaxed approach, especially if I have some idea of what I'm going to prepare, unless it's something that requires very specific ingredients that can't be substituted or that requires following certain steps to the letter, as is the case with making yogurt. A week ago, I made some, and since I'm not an expert at this, I looked up some recipes and followed the instructions exactly. It turned out well. If I hadn't followed the instructions, I would surely have wasted the ingredients and my time.
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So if you don't like rules, don't get involved in certain matters and accept your mistakes with honor. If you don't like following instructions, many things will surely go wrong, so don't complain.
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This writing is inspired by @galenkp's proposal for this weekend.
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Thank you for joining me. I wish you good health and a dignified life.
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