About Which Rules to Break

Post 1910:

I’m a lover of words, though there aren’t many I live by. Here’s a grouping of words I find almost universally useful:

Learn the rules so you know when and how to break them.

Before you call me a criminal with a catchphrase, give it a second. This is something I heard from a veteran musician. He would ride me like crazy to learn the songs and learn to how to work a crowd. There’s a lot to it, and he was warning me not to “be myself,” because obviously that’s exactly what I wanted to do.

You can picture it with little effort. Young guy with a little talent, thinking he knows best. But he doesn’t know best. He doesn’t know the rules. And there are always rules, no matter how free the situation. Jobs. Relationships. Art. Basic human living. Rules.

Here’s the thing about rules. I have a love/hate thing with rules. Mostly it’s hate. But that’s probably a characters flaw. We need rules so we can break them.

You don’t have to break the rules, but that’s how you get good. Get noticed. If you completely adhere, you’ll never stand out. Goes for all walks and in all situations. A little out of the ordinary, a little against the grain—it goes a long way.

I mean that. If you show the world you know the rules so well you know when it’s okay to break them, you’ll get a few sneers but mostly thumbs up. People respect a little rebellion, but they rarely love a complete asshole. Be yourself, is what I’m saying. Make your life your own. But, you know, don’t be obnoxious. Never break that rule. Except when it makes you awesome. See!? I promise this works. Greatest philosophy ever.

Cheers and see after.