Social IssuesFEB 21, 2024

30 Times Folks Online Broke Rules Because They Made Zero Sense To Them

Viktorija Ošikaitė and Robertas Lisickis

It’s important to have rules around. 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. And that might cause some social issues. But more on that later.

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

#21

30 Times Folks Online Broke Rules Because They Made Zero Sense To Them

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

Similar-Play7493, viZZZual.com / flickr

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89points

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

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

Weasel_Town, Karolina Grabowska / pexels

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85points

#23

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

Memento-Mori-357, fauxels/ pexels

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73points

#24

After the 3rd sneeze I stop saying bless you.

prettyuser, Edward Jenner / pexels

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72points

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

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.

KreacherInTheCorner, cottonbro studio / pexels

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66points

#26

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

OG-mother-earth, Max Fischer / pexels

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63points

#27

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

Old_Snow3086, JESHOOTS.com / pexels

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50points

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

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

Apocalyptic-turnip, Julia M Cameron / pexels

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50points