It’s important to have rules. Everyone benefits from general order and knowing how things are done calms the inner anxiousness inside many of us.

However, not all rules are sound in terms of their reasoning. While all rules might have a reason, not all reasons might make sense, whether it’s logical, practical or any other -al.

This, in turn, urges some to protest against the rule entirely, and these people have recently shared some of the rules that irked them—so much, in fact that they regularly break these rules because they fundamentally disagree with them.

#1

I let the squirrels use the bird feeder. My fluffy bois are hungry too.

Image credits: TyphoidLizzie

#2

Stole a pet frog that was severely neglected. Don't give a rat's a*s about stealing if they don't care about mistreating an animal.

Image credits: westonlark

#3

I bring my own snack into the movie theatre.

Image credits: MiekerBeaker

Recently, one Redditor asked folks on r/AskReddit to share common rules that they break just because they fundamentally disagree with them.

Believe it or not, this is the second post in the past month that asks this question, with both of them collectively garnering 14,100 upvotes and generating a discussion of 12,500 comments.

#4

If it's a single restroom then I won't care which gender it is.

Image credits: RadiantHC

#5

Don’t talk about your pay at work or at all. No, because finances are incredibly important and I sure as f**k would wanna know what a job pays. This is my life we’re talking about. Money makes it good.

Image credits: anon

#6

If something is no longer being published, I don't have qualms about copyright infringement

Image credits: Old_Snow3086

So, rules are guidelines created by individuals, communities, countries, what have you, which dictate a certain code of conduct among people and processes. These can vary based on social interactions, beliefs, governance, and the like.

The key idea behind following rules is to push away the tide of chaos and anarchy. Sure, they feel like restrictions, but they are the lesser of the two evils.

#7

If I'm working at some sort of establishment that throws food away, even though it's clearly still edible, im taking that s**t.

Image credits: WillingnessOk3564

#8

Pluto is a planet.

Image credits: NavierIsStoked

#9

Loyalty to a company. P**s me off after 3 months? I’ll quit. 5 years? I’ll quit. 18 months? I’ll quit My family doesn’t give two s***s whether im somewhere for 90 days or 9 years. They just care that dad loves them and is there for them, and I never ever ever want them to be cold, hungry or in pain. And if I have to quit a job because even for a second that’s threatened, so be it

Image credits: Memento-Mori-357

As such, rules provide safety as they limit certain bad behaviors and possibly encourage good ones. Same goes with protecting those who are disadvantaged—rules provide safeguards that ensure certain rights and guarantees for people or groups considered vulnerable to particular factors and influences. In that sense, it evens out the playing field so that everyone could have equal opportunities. Oh, and rules also lay the groundwork for malicious compliance.

#10

Crossing the street in the middle is fine when there are no cars. Also it's okay to go diagonally at cross walks for the same reason

Image credits: saintash

#11

I share my Netflix password.

Image credits: Hefty-Unit7554

#12

The assistant manager always wants you to serve old fries at the end of the night. No. Once they go to the back office the last hour of their shift to count money and do computer things, I’m going to let you know it’s late and has been slow, but just for you I’m cooking your fries fresh, it will be about 3 more minutes. I don’t serve old, cold food. I get that you break down the fry station because it has to be cleaned. But placing a tray of fries on the sandwich warmer isn’t going to maintain taste and flavor. The fryer still works. On my shift you can trust I will get you fresh fries at 11:45 pm. Write me up. Idgaf. Ain’t nobody got time for cold fries.

Image credits: Gladysfartz

And if that’s not reason enough, there’s also the consequences of rule violations to make sure they aren’t violated. These vary depending on the severity of the offence—after all, littering and stealing, while both crimes, don’t seem like they are on the same level of damage done. And both can be contextual too, as throwing a paper wrapper in a public park isn’t the same as throwing plastic bags into the ocean, but you get the point.

#13

Don’t gossip.

Eff that. Gossiping gives you tons of good info you can use. The trick is to just understand that all gossip is coming from someone’s particular and limited worldview /knowledge-base and isn’t necessarily objectively true

Image credits: jshamwow

#14

Now that my company is forcing us to come into the office after 3.5 years of working remote, I have no qualms about cheating my time sheet. I take as many paid breaks as I want and punch myself in early regardless of what time I get there.

The way I see it, they cut my compensation by making me pay for lunch and train fare. I'm just evening the score.

Image credits: twenty42

#15

I hate how they give perfect attendance awards in schools.

If my kid is sick, going through trauma, or we have a funeral, they can skip a damn day

Image credits: MountainLine

But there’s also the other side of the coin. Why do people choose to disobey rules? Is it because taboos are fun to defy because of the reactions you get from folks, or is it because it’s time for change?

Civil disobedience is a great example of breaking rules in order to raise fundamental questions about anything from morality to civic obligation to government rule. All of this to drive much-needed social change.

#16

Polite conversation topics. I wanna talk about death sex and money

Image credits: kathmanducameron

#17

Getting around paywalls. I understand financially supporting journalism, but I can’t subscribe to everything.

Image credits: Weasel_Town

#18

They will pry the Oxford comma from my cold dead hands.

Image credits: WineWednesdayYet

The idea of civil disobedience can shed light on an issue that would encourage debate, rethinking and subsequent change of unjust laws, ways of thinking in terms of ethics, morality, culture or social norms.

And while it can go a long way, there’s an important thing to note with civil disobedience: yes, you are breaking rules for a greater good, but your cause still has to be just and follow a standard of just behavior.

#19

After the 3rd sneeze I stop saying bless you.

Image credits: prettyuser

#20

Pirating something you've paid for previously. I didn't just buy the CD or DVD, I bought the right to install and view or use that material. Owning a physical copy of an intellectual property (music, videogame, film) implies a perpetual right to viewership and use.

Paying wildly overpriced medical bills. For a decade, now, I've just refused to pay, let them go to collections, and dispute them for ages until they finally give up. At worst, I make the collection agency waste money on the pursuit, then settle for pennies.

Image credits: KreacherInTheCorner

#21

At the convenience store, I always take a huge drink from my cup at the soda fountain and then fill it back to the top again.

Image credits: WPBDoc

It’s actually in the name—civil disobedience.

It has to be civil. And by proxy, the reasons behind the disobedience have to be backed up with just behavior—one that aligns with fundamental moral principles with individuals accepting and bearing personal responsibility for their actions and choices.

#22

People say don't spoil your kids. F**k that, I break this rule constantly. They're great. Hard workers. Sweet. Gracious and generous. Good sharers. When they want something and I think they deserve it and it isn't some dumb toy or tchotchke, I will give/do it for them. Can be as simple as dropping what I'm doing to play catch, buying them something when we are at the store, giving in to McDonald's ice cream requests before dinner, signing them out of school early to surf with me and getting them big gifts at Christmas (surfboards/halfpipe/two person boogie board, etc). They are always so excited and I love seeing them smile and kicking it with them and giving them a good childhood. I feel lucky.

Image credits: The_Animal_Chin

#23

At my job, we aren’t allowed to go home on break. I live right in front of the store, three minute walk away. Yeah no, I’m going home.

#24

I clean my ears with qtips

Image credits: Akgrl33

The fact that a person is willing to stand by their choices and opinions, saying “no” to things they don’t believe in all the while adhering to that which is considered civil and human ultimately adds power to the protest.

Think of the greats—Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr.—they all approached civil disobedience in a principled, yet effective way to achieve great things for millions, if not billions, of people.

#25

I help homeless people on the streets by passing out food. Never know what they've been through. I've gotten tickets for it too , sad

Image credits: Guilty_Caregiver4433

#26

Elbows on the table. Why????? Unless someone’s in another persons space or their elbows are by the food, it’s such a silly rule. What’s wrong with setting my arm on the table???

#27

right now I pirate guilt free because streaming services suck more and more and you never know when some a*****e game service is going to delete a game you bought tomorrow

Image credits: Apocalyptic-turnip

But it doesn’t have to be on an epic scale to count, though. It’s crossing the street when there is no crossing, but neither are there any cars. It’s pirating something that you’ve previously paid for. It’s writing the Oxford comma despite heated debates among language purists. They are all breaking some form of rule, but the context allows for it in a non-threatening and non-harmful way. And all of that is in the hopes that something will change for the better.

#28

No food or drinks at the nurses station. I work ER and haven’t taken a full 30 minute lunch in about a decade, I’m definitely snacking at my desk.

Image credits: svrgnctzn

#29

I think Netflix and other streaming services should have the same contents worldwide. We live in the age of internet, borders don’t matter. If I wanna watch something that’s not on my version of Netflix, I’ll find it online at a pirate website. Most of the time they don’t even give me the option to watch it legally because it’s just not on any service in my country. In that case it’s on them, they only have themselves to blame.

FTR, this is a hill I’m willing to die on.

ETA: I know this isn’t Netflix’s fault, it’s the ppl that own the movies and series etc. They won’t get royalties when I watch it illegally, but if I can’t watch it in a legal way, they only have themselves to blame.

Image credits: sheneededahero

#30

Smoke two joints in the morning.

Smoke two joints at night.

Smoke two joints in the afternoon.

Make me feel alright.

So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Share them in the comment section below.

Don’t have any thoughts? Bored Panda has other, similar places that you can be at—places like the social issues section.

#31

Teacher: If kids are hungry, I let them eat. They can eat as much as they want. Even if they show up late, they can eat, if it’s in the middle of the day, they can eat while they work. Also, they can go to the bathroom, maybe they have to wait 3 minutes until I’m done talking, but otherwise go. It helps I have a bathroom in my room which would solve many problems for middle schoolers.

#32

If I'm not very hungry, I order from the child's menu.

#33

Consumption Dates: Eating food past its sell-by date, as you believe it’s often still good and don't want to waste food

#34

I refuse to say that somebody "passed away". They died. Ascribe a weighty word to a weighty concept.

#35

If something has been in the lost and found for a month, then it’s ok to take.

#36

TV license in the UK. Stopped paying about 15 years ago.

#37

Speaking ill of the dead. I'm not going to pretend that somebody was a better person than they actually work because they are dead.

#38

I clean the patient's bedside table first and foremost instead of emptying the trash first, as we're ordered to do.

Image credits: CookinCheap

#39

I don’t tip until service is complete. As it should be.

#40

Being on time for work. It affects exactly zero people if I show up 25 mins late and make up for it at the end of the day. Doesn’t work for some jobs, but for mine, it’s fine.

#41

Taking small valuable things from multi billion dollar corporations

#42

jaywalking...its fine in neighborhoods with low traffic

#43

For the first 5 or so years I was in the USAF, uniform rules mandated wearing backpacks on the left shoulder only. It was the dumbest and most useless rule I had ever seen in my life and obviously caused tons of problems for the wearer. I openly and defiantly broke this rule every single day and didn't care who saw it. I took a lot of flak for it but still did it. Someone, somewhere FINALLY changed it to allow both shoulders instead of just maintaining the status quo.

#44

Wearing white after Labour Day. Like every day is a day after Labour Day !!

Image credits: NewHumbug

#45

No mattress tags will survive in this house

#46

Coming to a complete stop at an empty intersection with no other cars, bicycles or pedestrians where I can clearly see every cross street and sidewalk.

#47

Speed reading terms and conditions like it's a new Olympic sport

#48

The wash, rinse, and repeat. Surprise b****es, i'm only washing once.

#49

Don't ever talk about your exes with your current partner. We're all adults, that's so dumb and silly

#50

Work Dress Codes: Wearing more casual clothing to work than the dress code permits, feeling that comfort boosts productivity

#51

I don't break the rule/law but I think it's ultimately idiotic and causes more accidents than it ever hoped to prevent. I drive a school bus and in NY we are mandated to stop at every railroad crossing whether it has gates and lights or not. It stems from an incident from 50 years ago where a driver ran a stop sign at a line that was hardly ever used. 50 years later, at least where I live, every crossing has gates and lights to prevent drivers from crossing, and I've never heard of one incident where someone was struck by a train because the gates didn't work. And today we have people who text while driving and are not looking where they are going. At least once a month our yard has an incident where a bus is rear ended at a RxR crossing. People are hurt, and thousands of dollars in damage are incurred. If it is so important to stop at RxR crossings, why don't parents do so in their private cars? There, I got that off my chest.

Image credits: riffraffbri

#52

Gravity. Sometimes it's just not working for me!

#53

Max 20 items in self checkout. I used to work at said grocery store and know what I’m doing.

#54

When I was in university I handed in all my assignments at least a day late because the rule was only a 1% deduction per day capping at 10%.

#55

Zoning Regulations: Building minor, non-intrusive structures without a permit, seeing the process as bureaucratic and unnecessary

#56

Speed limits. They're more like speed suggestions, am I right? Especially at 3am. My car thinks it's a spaceship and honestly, who am I to crush its dreams?

#57

Nice try Fed Boy, you'll never catch me

#58

I'm a teacher, so we're not supposed to wear jeans. I think this is the most out-dated, nonsensical rule.

We know now that building relationships with students is the most important thing, and I truly believe that you are distancing yourself from kids if you come to school in some wack a*s "professional" office outfit. Who will a kid be more likely to bond with? Somebody who looks more like them!!

Also, I'm convinced that districts only keep this rule in place so that they can dangle a "jeans day!" in front of our faces every so often to try to keep us complacent. It's insulting.

I'm too afraid to break this rule completely, because ultimately I do love my job, but every Friday when we have a "jeans day if you wear a school shirt," I just wear my jeans with whatever shirt I want. It's my tiny, miniscule, absolutely microscopic taste of rebellion, lol