Why? That must be the ultimate philosophical question, because all of the rules rest upon the answer.True story: my husband, a building contractor, was once confronted by the building inspector who claimed the footings for a house were not "to code." The footings for part of the house consisted of massive solid granite in which holes were drilled for bolts to connect to the frame of the house. The inspector wanted the granite blasted out so that conventional footings could be dug and poured. My husband simply, and politely, went over his head.
Q: What is the purpose of the footings? A: To support the house. Q: Which accomplishes this purpose the best?
Children tend to be very rigid thinkers. They are very rule-based and see things in black and white. Thus, the constant, "It's not FAIR!" complaint.
Eventually, however, humans were meant to transcend this level. The policy, the ethic of a thing, drives the rules. But, without an understanding of the basis, the policy, the value, which the rule is designed to further, we will never think outside the box.
That building inspector was locked into a rigid application of the "code" without apprehension of the purpose of its rules. By the way, after he retired, he chose my husband to design a structure for him.
Today, try to perceive the value protected and supported by each of the rules that you encounter. As long as we have common values with another group, or culture, the rules should not conflict but represent alternatives for achieving what is valued.
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