Rules
Why they should be more like guidelines…
I don’t trust anyone who sees the world as only black and white, meaning there are no grey areas, no areas where a hard and fast rule can’t work. I think I’m qualified not to trust them because I used to be one of them.
Now I’m not going to pontificate about how they are because to me that only furthers the terrible “us vs them” mentality that exists in so much of our societies. I understand how a small segment of that community thinks, namely the religious conservatives.
What I will do is talk about rules, which are the crux of the whole black and white perspective.
Rules are safe. They provide easy answers in a world that is often difficult. Exceptions are dangerous because ultimately they bring into question the veracity of the rules. Then there is the slippery slope.
This isn’t just about morality or ethics though. Bias, prejudice, stereotypes, are all about making easy rules to follow in any given scenario, usually based on experience or shared perspective. These automatic rule-makers often guide us correctly and keep us out of the danger zone. The problem arises when we give them absolute power to dictate in every situation. You know what they say about absolute power.
Rules are easy. They require no thought. Just follow the rule. Any action taken in following the rule is justified. Herein lies the problem, because rules are not written for EVERY situation. It is just not possible to do that. Even if it were, the book would never be complete.
If we look at any legal system, we would realize that along with the rules there must be people to interpret the rules properly. Unfortunately, as time passes and different situations arise, even interpretations are then subject to changing. This brings us to our third point.
Rules are fallible. They are not perfect. They can’t be because they are written by imperfect humans who can’t see every scenario that could arise. They are also created by the dominant perspective of any given time, which means they automatically have a bias against the oppressed of that time. If history is written by the winners, so are the rules.
Even if we look at religious systems, we have to admit that even the “divinely” written rules often have exceptions and even outright contradictions even within their own systems. Rather than debunk the systems, though I think this serves to highlight the point. There is no hard fast rule for every situation. Humanity is too dynamic for that.
Rules are dangerous. They provide a way to justify any act, even the most inhumane under the guise of good. Check out history if you don’t think so. Holocaust, European conquest, African slavery, Native American genocide, all conducted under the direction of some rules or set of doctrines.
Beyond just adherence to the rules, there is the danger of the manipulation of rules by those in authority for their own agendas. Legal systems worldwide are rife with this type of abuse. The result is that there are mass incarcerations of certain demographics (poor, immigrants, minorities) and legal loopholes for those who can afford them.
The fact that I moved from “Rules are safe” to “Rules are dangerous” was intentional. The fact is rules are both of those things, which brings me to my final point.
Rules are dynamic. Or at least they should be. We have already talked about how they are shaped and changed by the power structures. But the type of dynamic I want to highlight has to do with humanity.
William Godwin said, “Law is made for man, not man for the law…”
In other words, man comes first. Rules don’t prioritize humanity. They are too focused and impartial for that. They are meant for a prescribed set of circumstances. Humanity is anything but prescribed. Humanity is dynamic. It changes, not just on a large scale but in the many tiny nuances of every day life.
My challenge to you is to try to view the rules through the lens of humanity rather than humanity through the lens of the rules. There must be a balance but it is always better to err on the side of humanity.
When you look at a person through the lens of the law, you see a statistic, someone who either follows the rule or doesn’t. There is no depth to them; in many ways they become less than human. But when you look at a person through the lens of humanity, you see a kaleidoscope of experiences coming together to make a complex multi-faceted being with will, intention and purpose. You may even see a reflection of yourself somewhere in them.
With this vision you realize, that rules are not about damning, shaming and degrading; they are about guiding, uplifting, and protecting. They are about making humanity better not demonizing it.
© Ryan J. Pearce 2021
