Broken Rules

Ever heard the saying ‘rules are made to be broken’? Ever taken it totally literally, thought ‘sod it’ and gotten in to trouble? Maybe you’ve been a rule breaker all your life and never noticed any sort of punishment?

Anyway - after a little research - I’ve found that the saying actually goes ‘sometimes rules are made to be broken’. I don’t remember anyone ever putting the word ‘sometimes’ in the phrase! No surprise, seeing as it tends to be used just before or after someone makes an excuse for a rule to be ignored.

I guess a better way to say the phrase might be ‘sometimes rules CAN be broken’, after all, rules are often MADE to protect us, or people around us.

What’s the chances of everyone on the planet remembering this version: sometimes rules can be broken if the rule breaker has earned the right to do so? Or what about: rules are made to be broken by those who have learnt to follow them without question?. Not very catchy, but less misleading than the most common version.

However the saying is meant to be said, I’m sure the version that makes it easier to be a rebel will remain a favourite for quite a while, especially among everyone from murderers to drunken traffic-cone collectors, although, this conclusion might just be a reflection of some of the company I’ve kept in past years. No offence guy’s and girls, it’s been a pleasure!

Thanks, Neil.