Follow the Rules
An ape scraped together some education and a chalkboard. RULES, he wrote on it.
RULE NUMBER ONE: SHARE YOUR FOOD
He called the animals together and showed them the rule. The lion had his doubts, but the ape reminded him that even kings were beneath the law. By way of teaching the rule by example, the ape helped himself to generous samples of every animal’s food.
Later the ape gathered some tender shoots and was munching on them. A number of animals who liked that sort of food gathered round for their share. But “ah,” said the pe, and led them back to the chalkboard clearing. There, written clearly under Rule Number One, was the following:
EXCEPTION ONE: Unless the Food is a Luxury.
Sharing is for necessities, the Ape explained. Tender shoots are a delicacy, not a necessity.
The monkey objected, “you ate most of my banana. That wasn’t a necessity.”
“Oh, they are for apes,” the ape replied. “But in any case . . .” He turned to the chalkboard and wrote a new exception.
EXCEPTION TWO: Unless the Food Requires Effort to Prepare.
“I had to dig for these tender shoots,” the ape explained.
“And I had to climb the tree for the bananas and you made me peel it for you!” was the monkey’s hot reply.
“I feel sorry for you, friend,” the ape said. “But Exception Two didn’t exist back then.”
Moral: the rules created by rule manipulators aren’t real rules. The explanations they make aren’t real explanations.
Filed under: Deseret Review | Tags: Aesop's fables, fables, LDS, parables
Elizabeth
January 13, 2021
“You’re pirates. Hang the code, and hang the rules. They’re more like guidelines anyway.”
bruce charlton
January 13, 2021
When dealing with known, habitual liars it is best to ignore everything they *say*, and judge only by what they *do*.
They ‘mean’ what they do.
For instance: They say that there is a deadly global plague *therefore* Science dictates that They must close all churches and destroy culture and the economy and confine everybody under house arrest/ behind masks/ separated/ and administer mass genetic engineering injections…
I simply see Them close all churches and destroy culture and the economy and confine everybody under house arrest/ behind masks/ separated/ and administer mass genetic engineering injections.
What liars do, is what liars mean.
Patrick Henry
January 13, 2021
What kind of rebel would I be, if I always did what I was told?
Mal Reynolds
January 13, 2021
I aim to misbehave.
Les Emmerson
January 13, 2021
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign.
Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind.
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?
Roland Orzabal
January 13, 2021
Welcome to your life
There’s no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you
Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on mother nature
Everybody wants to rule the world
It’s my own design
It’s my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the most
Of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
There’s a room where the light won’t find you
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
When they do I’ll be right behind you
So glad we’ve almost made it
So sad they had to fade it
Everybody wants to rule the world
I can’t stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world
Say that you’ll never never never never need it
One headline why believe it?
Everybody wants to rule the world
All for freedom and for pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world