Essay by Iris

Following Rules Is Liberating

Iris Gan Haichan — Zhuhai, China

From following the rules, we gain more freedom.

Yesterday, on my way home, I saw a delivery boy lying on the main road with a bicycle next to him. Then as I continued walking, I saw a taxi stopped not far away, the taxi driver holding his cell phone calling someone, maybe for the insurance. Fortunately, no one was hurt this time. That reminds me of the accident that I saw when I was in grade four. A sixth-grade pupil was riding a bike. When he was ready to turn at a crossing, he was hit by a taxi; unlike this one, he died instantly. In Zhuhai, taxi drivers are notorious for their rampaging through the street, driving too fast, and moving into others’ lanes. Coincidentally, the bicycle rider also broke the rules; he rode into the motorway. We know that was not something unusual in our life. We see jaywalkers everyday. Following rules is a safety guarantee for us.

People think rules restrict us. They should have the freedom to do what they want to. Individuals give excuses for their rule-bending, especially when they think their behavior does not do harm to others. But since we live in the same society, we are interdependent. How can our rule-bending not affect other people in a negative way?

I have a student in my class who is very good in every aspect and she is interested in laws and rights, but she likes to chat with other students in class. But one week, after a weekend, she changed her little foible. I asked what made her change. She said she realized that when she enjoyed her right to talk, she also interfered with other students’ right to listen to the teacher. Following rules is protecting others’ rights.

Last but not least, I am going to give a simple, but shameful example about myself. Once a month, I have dinner with Jana. In the 12 times a year we have dinner, I keep her waiting nearly one third of the time. My being late not only keeps her waiting, but also makes her miss the last bus. Moreover, not being punctual not only causes inconvenience to others, but also interferes with their appointment after mine. Following rules is also a convenience to others.

There was a famous experiment in Germany. German is famous for their obedience to rules. The tester put a male sign and a female sign on a telephone booth on the street. In the test, even though there was a long queue on the male side, no one was making their phone call in the other booth. Following rules puts icing on the cake for a nation’s prestige.