Rules or Principles?
In 1935, President Roosevelt addressing the youth of America
said “Rules are not necessarily sacred; principles are”. Rules are such an
integral part of our lives from traffic regulation to taxation, from grammar
books to sports. Yet rules can also be restrictive, complicated and outdated. Elaborate
systems of prevention and punishment have evolved to maintain a manageable
society, in order, we are told, to protect the weak and restrain the powerful.
While rules are imposed from outside, principles are
internalized values that regulate our behavior more naturally. In an ideal world if we had strong
principles, we would need fewer rules imposed on us. As product manager, Francisco
Sáez says “Working under rules is a
source of stress. Working under principles is natural, and requires no effort”.
Rules are formulated to uphold
principles, but too often rules become autocratic, negating the very principles
they set out to protect. Increasingly, businesses and auditing firms are
formulating principle based, rather than rule based, systems and successful
leadership is recognized by its ability to make principled decisions .
Science is not normally seen as a guide to everyday life,
but we can learn as much from the scientific method as benefit from its
discoveries. Scientific research applies a framework of principles rather than
rules, follows a code of investigative ethics, objectivity and integrity, and
is willing to question and adapt its conclusions. While it’s a fact that without rules, society
would slip into anarchy, with a solid structure of guiding principles, it
becomes possible to question rules and change or discard them when they become
obsolete.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of art where
it is assumed rules will be broken to maintain its relevance. Greek sculpture broke away from static poses
with contrapposto, depicting bodies in a more relaxed and natural pose. From the late 19 C onwards, art movements such
as Impressionism, Cubism, Dada, Constructivism, Minimalism, Systems art
Conceptual art, Happenings to name only a few, constantly changed the rules to
better reflect the times. Yet the principles of art –colour, composition, line,
texture and so on, remain the measure of good art. Composer, Shostakovitch shocked audiences with his dissonance verging on noise, yet it is undeniably
music. John Cage created four minutes
and thirty seconds of silence, with audiences hearing only ambient sounds. Mughal artists broke with stylized profiles
to make three quarter portraits, yet retained the essence of miniature
traditions.
Although most people associate religion with rigid rules,
the original texts awaken faith through broad principles: the Ten Commandments
of Moses, the Beatitudes of Jesus, the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, the
inspirations from nature in Surah Rahman of the Quran.
Children respond more positively when they are taught
principles such as compassion and honesty, rather than rules imposed without a
context. Facts learnt at school may be
forgotten but students will remember how to learn. The Socratic method of
learning developed 2400 years ago, is regaining prominence. The teacher does
not give information, but encourages discussions and questions through which
students arrive at knowledge which is assimilated far more effectively than the
memorizing of facts.
B.R Ambedkar wrote rules “are habitual ways of doing
things”, but principles are “useful ways of judging things”. While rules are
important, the tyranny of rules stagnates a society - there would be no new
inventions, no space for intellectual growth.
Whether a person is a leader, a housewife, a child or a
student, the essence of their daily actions can be pared down to their ability
to make decisions, big or small. To learn to be reflective and make mindful
decisions, Ray Dalio, in his 2017 best seller, “Principles”, underlines the
necessity for the individual to create their own set of guiding principles for
personal and professional life.
Durriya Kazi
November 24, 2020
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