Ok so our whole life is governed by rules, some big some small. When we are young we are under the thumb of our parents. When we are older we have to deal with our boss. And the whole time we have to live by the laws of the land of where ever we choose to live. Then we have social norms, things like not cutting in line and facing forward in a crowded elevator. Some of these “rules” are more personal and close to home – for instance, I’m sure your wife or girlfriend expects you to be loyal to her and not stray. See, lots of rules.

But we are all own own people. The “man” can’t keep us down. We are humans and have the free will to make our own decisions. We technically get to decide what rules we will obey and which ones we might bend or simply just not adhere to at all. As an adult you get more and more “freedom” to decide which rules are more important than others, but ironically the penalties increase as well.

Everyone’s moral compass is formed by their upbringing, culture, experiences, etc. So I hold no authority in telling you which decisions to make. But what I do want to tell you is that regardless of which rules you choose to bend, push, or disregard – be man enough to take your licks if you get called out on it. You know right from wrong. So you have no one to blame but your self when and if you get caught. And don’t be a guy without a spine and start saying “we’ll so and so did it too!” Take your licks. Be accountable.
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Sidebar: so what sparked this post?

I chose to bend a work rule and my boss called me on it. I said ok, took my licks and admitted my wrongdoing. I can’t be mad at my boss – he’s doing his job. And I knew the action I was taking.

My coworker also bent the same rule. Also got called out. But got angry with the boss and felt wronged for being disciplined.

Other coworkers weren’t called out. Maybe they went unnoticed. And it’s not my job to name them.

* sounds heinous right? Maybe. But by my moral compass, it wasn’t…

It was Friday. I had been battling a sinus infection for a month. I needed to take my medicine so I made the decision to leave about 10 minutes early. Wrong? Technically yes. End of the world – I didn’t think so, thus my decision to leave.

Did my boss agree? Nope 🙂
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So make your decisions wisely about what rules you think are or aren’t important. Know that there are consequences. And decide what action you’ll take. But be accountable for your actions.

You can be mad if you get caught. Just make sure you’re mad at the right person.