Imagine a world without any rules. It’s pretty hard to do, right? It’s possible that human beings as a species simply can’t exist without hierarchies and structure and deciding how long one’s lunch break should be. Civilization as a whole wouldn’t exist without ideas and behaviors we can all agree on.
However, some rules seem unjust, unfair, and all-around oppressive. That’s why folks try to bend them without breaking them, and Bored Panda has collected the most clever and creative ways how people beat the system by following the rules to the letter. It’s some truly amazing inspiration for all of you Pandas who might feel too restricted, whether it’s at work or elsewhere. And it’s rock-solid proof that you don’t necessarily need to resort to anarchy to beat the system at its own game.
Remember to upvote your fave pics as you scroll down, and be sure to drop by the comment section to share your own stories about how you worked around unfair rules. Oh, and in case you need some more examples of how the rules are powerless against the human imagination, check out Bored Panda’s earlier two articles about it right here and over here.
Suzanne Degges-White, Licensed Counselor, Professor, and Chair at the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University, shared her insights about the importance of rules and structure in life with Bored Panda.
“While novelty is always enticing, for the most part, humans need structure and routine— especially as young kids and then mature adults. Structure gives us security and even though we may fight against it, we feel safe knowing that rules exist that keep us (and others) in bounds,” she explained to us.
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According to Professor Degges-White, we might feel the urge to rebel when we become teenagers. However, this doesn’t change the fact that rules, as a whole, are vital to have.
“During adolescence, the urge to challenge parents takes hold, but without rules/expectations, we would feel adrift. While some of us will always try to bend the rules, break the rules, or challenge the rules, there is comfort in knowing that large-scale chaos isn't going to happen due to the rules that we may be fighting against,” she told Bored Panda.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that everyone has a different level of tolerance for following the rules. Some might embrace them to the fullest and have a difficult time living outside their routines. Meanwhile, others rebel against any and all rules (sometimes to the point of absurdity).
Old Lady At The Bank
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“There are some people who feel that any attempts to get them to ‘fall in line’ are unacceptable. I once worked with someone who would always turn in their reports late—whether it was late by a day or just a couple of minutes past the stated deadline, they were consistently going to buck the deadline,” Professor Degges-White revealed to Bored Panda.
“When asked why they behaved in this way, their response was that they were able to maintain control when they didn't follow the rules. For them, rules at work were something to be broken in order to satisfy their ‘control freak’ tendency,” she said.
“Others, though, use rules as ‘base level expectations’ and want to exceed those expectations and follow rules to a ‘t.’ They maintain their own sense of control by staying way inside of the rules—they take pride in this behavior.”.
Unauthorized Protests Are Forbidden In Russia, So Artists In St. Petersburg Decided To Do Some Open-Air Practice
Amelia you know how many people have been looking for you?
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Unfortunately, they all mysteriously disappeared in a freak accident soon after this.
I wish I could take this as a joke but the probability is high
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Our school banned everything "political" which includes all the things in support of Ukraine. Let's just say, we students got very creative.
i gotta know more. what kind of stuff did they do?
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Evil nothing to do with nationality. Every country have bad and good people.
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There is good in the world. There are normal, kind people everywhere. Nobody can take that away no matter how bad it gets. It is my opinion that most people are like you and me and that we have more things in common than we realize. Isn't figuring life out hard enough for us all? Do we have to have war and people who only want to ruin everything?
I thought that was him, but I wasn't sure. Thanks!
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Having worked with Russian (and Soviet) citizens worldwide, I can state from direct personal experience that the Russian people are as everyone, mostly good, some not, but cursed with evil leadership. I'm a citizen of the US, I know how this feels. Daily..
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Thank you, Russian people! Destruction is never a solution! Cooperation will take humanity forward. And thank you Ukrainian peopel for standing up. Worldpeace may sound cliche but it is the only guarantee for survival! Just my opinion...
OMG I just realized The Yellow on Blue banner represents wheat and an open sky! That is so cool!
Our school banned everything "political", which includes everything that shows support to Ukraine. Let's just say, we students got very creative
💔 I feel so much for the people in Russia who are supporting Ukraine however they can. They are so brave✊
💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
I'm sure idiot "💩-tin" will be arresting these people soon enough. Actually I'm surprised he even allows the public busses to be yellow. Twit.
Pure genius!! 🙏👍🙏💕😍 Admire these artists for so many reasons including as an artist as well, BUT how incredibly powerful, SO powerful that these are Russian artists! painting in support of Ukrainians and Ukraine as a whole. Fantastic, Courageous and *bam!* to the power of the brush! 🖌️🎨
How can they even pretend they are free and aren’t in a dictatorship?
US citizens as myself fight our evil government when awake... but there are a lot who love the nightmare. I work for better, but I'm growing tired. So tired.
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As we have painfully learned, an entire country can be dragged along -unwillingly!- by one stupid madman and his evil henchmen. We should have some sympathy for the normal Russian people. They don’t want this sh*tty war anymore than we do!
Some do, some don't. But we can't really tell how many disagree because they are too afraid to speak up. And those that genuinely support this are most likely brainwashed by propaganda. So I agree, it is best not to judge.
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The most peaceful of protests... The slap-it-in-your-face loophole of the times!!
I doubt the Russian police would refrain from arresting these artists.
Like everywhere, there are good Russian policemen who would find a way to look away.
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I wonder what an authorized protest would look like. I’m so glad I’m Canadian.
It would look like a police riot, and the protestors would be destroyed.
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Not get'n it and then I don't have too as long as their message was sent to tRumps lover, putin.
Politics can never outwin against emotions and love for your fellow man or woman!!!!!
With innocent look on my face "Who doesn't like sunflowers and landscapes with blue skies?"
you can restrict the body, but not the mind and soul. Freedom of thought will find a way
The sad reality is that in russia the police has arrested woman for wearing blue and yellow jacket, a man for standing with a blank paper in hands (he wasn't making any claims either), a man was arrested, because cops noticed his blue-yellow sneakers (it came this way from manufacturer). And it took 8 cops to arrest an 80-something woman, a survivor of Leningrad blockade, who had a sign "No to war" (not mentioning Ukraine in any way or form). A school in Moscow had it's walls painted blue and yellow for 3 years. It was repainted, because of being too provocative. And the list of absurdity goes on. They are pulling charges out of their ar*ses to intimidate population. So these artists are not safe from authorities either.
They may still get in trouble or be 'watched' but there is always a way.
Brilliant. They should use an excuse like, 'these were the only colours available.'
You do realize that you are talking about country, where person can be arrested just for standing in the vicinity of the protest and charged because "they expressed support silently", don't you? It's not Murica, where you can lawyer up and get away on technicality. There is an old soviet joke about the KGB order of the day: "most important thing is to get the person, we can come up with charges any time". Recently, a man was charged using the newly barfed up law for "discrediting russian army" because he had Ukrainian flag on his balcony.
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Putin got appointed to cover up and hide Yeltsin's alcoholic clown like tomfoolery, and now...good luck Russia in appointing a successor able to cover up and hide the blood Putin is spilling. If they don't arrest and convict him now together with the west. The sun will no longer rise in the east for Russia.
Art done well at times is not brilliant technique but just brilliance of expression. So beautiful
Love; how they are dealing with the problem of everything my friends & all the art is beautiful.
The UKRAINIAN people are amazing-why are neighboring countries not uniting to take that tyrant son of a piece of s**t Putin down-and communist Russia while they're at it. Then NATO and the rest of the world would fight with them.
Arggh. Autocorrect. I meant "UPVOTE" this infinite times.
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I don't exactly understand but I do know art is a way of expression. And I support it
Because stopping tyranny in Ukraine is not wanted? Protest what exactly?
I LOVE THE DIGNITY, DETERMINATION, STRENGTH, AND CLASS THAT THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE HAVE DEMONSTRATED TO THE WORLD IN THE FACE OF FIGHTING A TYRANT! IF DUMB BIBLE-THUMPING AMERICANS WOULD HAVE RAISED THEIR CHILDREN INSTEAD OF EXPECTING THE SAME GOD WHO SENDS THEM GUNS, POVERTY, AND HORRORS THAT NO GOD SHOULD SUBJECT LIVING BEING TO... WHY IN THE F**K WOULD THEY THINK THAT HIGHER POWER WILL RAISE THEIR CHILDREN?! THE RESULT:. A NATION OF SAVAGES THAT THE PARENTS CREATED. THEY SHOULD KEPT THEIR UNDERWEAR ON WHILE THUMPING THOSE BIBLES!!!
Abolish government. . they do more unauthorized and terroristic things than citizens ever could!!!
Wow! As soon as Putin sees blue and yellow he'll leave Ukraine for sure!
The colors they are using are from the Ukrainian flag.
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Why we didn’t see protesters in US when they invaded Middle East ?
Arkasha. You’re a new user with only two comments on BP, and they are both very rude towards Ukrainian people. It seems like your only goal is to post inflammatory comments to get attention. I highly doubt you actually believe that Ukrainians are Nazis, I think you’re just trying to see how many people you can p**s off for fun. That’s kind of a weird flex and not very healthy mate, maybe look into getting a hobby or some therapy or something.
Load More Replies...Shorts Are Now Deemed "Inappropriate" For Retail Counter Workers At USPS. Skorts Are Still Ok
Both of them are rocking those skirts! Edit: thanks you guys for the upvotes, this is the most I've ever gotten!
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Whatever each individual’s tolerance for rules might be, society as a whole would fall apart without them.
“Everyone has a different view on rules/boundaries and it might be nature for some and nurture for others. However, on a larger scale, societies cannot function without clear rules and boundaries. Chaos and anarchy result—at any level—when rules fall by the wayside,” the professor told Bored Panda.
Having structure in your life can help you deal with stress. Strict schedules and routines can be very useful when the world seems unpredictable and your future looks uncertain. It’s something to fall back on. Something to rely on. It’s something to give you a sense of control when there’s chaos left, right, and center.
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In fact, a lack of structure can actually lead to more stress down the line. “If people don't have structure and are sitting around with less to focus on, then they also probably will find themselves thinking about the stressful situation more, which can also lead to additional stress and anxiety,” Rachel Goldman, Ph.D., told Very Well Mind
Besides lowering your stress levels, having a regular routine can help you form healthy habits, and make you feel more focused and productive. This can work both with self-imposed and outwardly-imposed routines. However, in some cases, we might not agree with all the rules in place. We might question the need for them or we might feel that the alternatives that we propose are far better.
This can lead to tension between those imposing and enforcing the rules, as well as those who are expected to abide by them. Let’s be frank, some workplace rules are truly bonkers, have no bearing to reality, or might be in place to stroke some managers’ egos. Meanwhile, others might be there for good reason (even if it’s not immediately apparent). It all comes down to good, effective leadership and whether or not bosses actually care about their employees. A good leader can create rules that make sense and benefit (nearly) everyone, not just the few.
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Five Words
Eddy Ng, the Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business at Queen’s University, told Bored Panda earlier that strong leaders in the workplace are those who are moral, principled, and choose to do the right thing. They stand in stark contrast to weak leaders who only do the things that make them popular and have a hard time making firm decisions: they flip-flop, they dither, they can’t make up their minds.
“The notion of servant leadership is gaining attention in the workplace. Although it is associated with many of the strong leadership traits such as empathy, selflessness, and humility, the focus is on the leader’s propensity to serve (or support) their followers. Servant leaders empower and lift up followers (employees) to motivate and fuel their passion,” the professor explained to Bored Panda.
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On those flags it says "Go home Ivan" and "Natasha waits for you". Those are lines from pretty good song wrote to protest the invasion. Funny thing, in their clip the role of Ivan is played by Petr Novotny, who is major of one part of Prague and he is a huge pain in the a*s for Russians for a long time.
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“Employees can manage that relationship to have work satisfaction. In this instance, employees need to communicate what they need (tools) or work conditions (autonomy) in order for them to perform optimally when working with a controlling boss. Employees need to convey what they can and are able to perform,” he said that the principle of exchange is an important one in workplaces.
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However, it’s not just at work where we find rules to abide by. Whether we like it or not, we also adhere to certain limits at home, too. In healthy relationships, both partners make the rules together, communicate efficiently, and respect each other’s boundaries. However, in some relationships, one partner might hold too much power or someone might not be able to enforce the rules and boundaries that matter to them.
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“In relationships and life in general, too much power can corrupt a person’s behavior. A man or a woman who is normally a very nice, caring, loving and understanding person, can sometimes become quite selfish, mean and unloving if given too much power in a romantic relationship,” Dan Bacon, a dating and relationship expert, told Bored Panda recently.
“Sometimes, a woman will be in a relationship with a man who says that he has boundaries, but then lets her defy those boundaries on a daily basis because he doesn’t know how to stand up to her in an assertive, loving, and effective way,” he explained that boundaries need to be enforced for them to matter.
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“All he does is get upset, sulk and seek pity from her when she defies his boundaries, which she sees as weak, wimpy, and possibly even pathetic. This can then result in her losing respect for him, which can then make her feel as though his so-called ‘boundaries’ aren’t something that she needs to adhere to,” the expert pointed out that boundaries mean nothing if they’re only theoretical. Pleading, demanding, or trying to reason with someone will not get them to respect your boundaries.
“That kind of problematic outcome often happens when one person has way too much power in a relationship.”
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A healthy relationship means that the power dynamic isn’t skewed too far one way or the other.
“Having boundaries respected is not about a man being overly domineering or bossy and making his girlfriend or wife feel like she has no power or say. That is not loving or effective and it will create many relationship problems and most likely cause the relationship to end in a breakup,” he told us.
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“A man needs to approach the relationship in a way where his girlfriend or wife feels respected, but also feels the need to respect him in return. If respect is only one way in the relationship, problematic behavior will naturally emerge and boundaries may be defied or disrespected by an otherwise nice, loving, and caring person.”
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Playing Outside
Today's version of me sitting halfway up a tree reading, after having been told to stop reading in my room and go outside and play
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Note: this post originally had 100 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
People smuggling alcohol in theaters or pools or wherever, can you seriously not enjoy your time there without drinking? That's more sad than smart.
not really, as a serious introvert I can only face crowds of people if I am toasted. So, public swimming pool, party, sports event, etc. nope. Can't do it without alcohol. It's a thing.
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Some of these are quite petty. Bringing a record player, seriously? Next on BP : why do schools and workplaces keep adding new rules, like we can’t just decide for ourselves what is normal behavior?
Some people NEED to break the rules, however small. I know a lady who’s so proud of her daughter for always doing what she wants, bending the rules, getting special treatment, and it’s so cringe. Of course they’re very inconsiderate of others too.
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My elementary-aged son was not allowed to stay up for night baseball games. Found him in his room listening to the call on the local radio station while watching the game with binoculars on the neighbor's TV.
Calling any of these people geniuses is a pretty stupid thing to say. Some of them were mildly clever...
Wow I'm guessing your personality has your mailbox full of party invitations
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Some of these were just filler a few make absolutely no sense really a cloud so what, some are just nonsense.
People smuggling alcohol in theaters or pools or wherever, can you seriously not enjoy your time there without drinking? That's more sad than smart.
not really, as a serious introvert I can only face crowds of people if I am toasted. So, public swimming pool, party, sports event, etc. nope. Can't do it without alcohol. It's a thing.
Load More Replies... Some of these are quite petty. Bringing a record player, seriously? Next on BP : why do schools and workplaces keep adding new rules, like we can’t just decide for ourselves what is normal behavior?
Some people NEED to break the rules, however small. I know a lady who’s so proud of her daughter for always doing what she wants, bending the rules, getting special treatment, and it’s so cringe. Of course they’re very inconsiderate of others too.
Load More Replies... My elementary-aged son was not allowed to stay up for night baseball games. Found him in his room listening to the call on the local radio station while watching the game with binoculars on the neighbor's TV.
Calling any of these people geniuses is a pretty stupid thing to say. Some of them were mildly clever...
Wow I'm guessing your personality has your mailbox full of party invitations
Load More Replies... Some of these were just filler a few make absolutely no sense really a cloud so what, some are just nonsense.
