📘 Part 3: Rules

This episode's vocabulary

To revolve around someone/something (phrasal verb) - to have someone or something as the main or most important interest or subject.

The golden rule (noun) - an important rule or principle, especially in a particular situation.

Applicable (adj.) - affecting or relating to a person or thing.

Household (noun) - a group of people, often a family, who live together.

To outline (verb) - to give the main facts about something.

A litany of something - a long list of unpleasant things, especially things that are repeated.

Policy (noun) - a set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a group of people, a business organization, a government, or a political party.

Dress code (noun) - an accepted way of dressing for a particular occasion or in a particular social group.

Code (noun) - a set of rules that are accepted as general principles, or a set of written rules that say how people in a particular organization or country should behave.

Procedure (noun) - a set of actions that is the official or accepted way of doing something.

Standpoint (noun) - a set of beliefs and ideas from which opinions and decisions are formed.

Litigious (adj.) - too often taking arguments to a court of law for a decision, especially to win money in a lawsuit.

Permissible (adj.) - allowed.

Unenforceable (adj.) - if a rule or law is unenforceable, it is impossible to force people to obey it.

To cordon something off (phrasal verb) - if people in authority, such as the police, cordon off a building or area, they put something around it in order to stop people from entering it.

To bypass (verb) - to ignore a rule or official authority.

Cordon (noun) - a line of police, soldiers, vehicles, etc. positioned around a particular area in order to prevent people from entering it.

Go to someone's head (idiom) - if something goes to someone's head, it makes that person think that they are very important and makes them a less pleasant person.

Corrupt (adj.) - dishonestly using your position or power to get an advantage, especially for money.

To govern (verb) - to have a direct effect or controlling influence on something.

Questions and Answers

M: What rules do most families have?

R: Well, they seem to mostly revolve around having good manners essentially. So things like not swearing, saying thank you, not being rude, whatever that means. That sort of thing. Which makes sense from a cultural perspective, if you want to maintain order.

M: What rules should children follow at home in your country?

R: Other than what I just said? Well, the golden rule is pretty... Oh, well, it's a pretty good one to follow from a psychological point of view. It's pretty logically consistent and easily applicable, just treat others how you would like to be treated.

M: On what occasions can children be forgiven if they don't follow some rules?

R: Most of the time the ones they didn't know about or couldn't have known about beforehand. For example, if a household has some kind of rule about not going near a pond in the garden, that's a really specific thing that you might have to outline beforehand.

M: What rules do people have in schools and workplaces in your country?

R: Oh, God, it seems like there's a never-ending litany of policies and rules that people need to keep them in line, like dress codes, codes of behaviour, procedures for various work processes. They probably make sense from a legal standpoint, since they're, well, people are increasingly litigious these days, but it's a huge burden on the memory. No wonder people forget them all the time.

M: What rules should people follow when using public transport?

R: Oh, without any doubt or qualification, keeping your music or your phone conversations to yourself. Absolutely no one wants to hear what other people have to say or to listen to on a train. Just from a social perspective, it's, well, exceptionally antisocial and really crosses the line disturbing other people and invading their personal space. Other rules related to shared spaces like that are also important if people are to get along well in these areas.

M: And what can be done about this?

R: Well, for a start, the train companies or whatever public transport company there is could have a sign saying that this is not permissible. And then the next thing would be for people to actually have, well, have the confidence to go up to the people breaking the rules and say, listen, this isn't fair, there are other people here on the train. Can you behave yourself? Or could you do the right thing and keep the noise down? That seems like a fair way to deal with this.

M: Why don't some people follow the rules?

R: Well, lots of reasons. Most obviously, some rules are just not worth following. Or they're unenforceable, like not using a public footpath that's been cordoned off. You can just bypass the cordon. From an individual standpoint, some people just think they're above the rules, and they can do what they like. Politicians, for example, break the rules all the time, because the power they have, it's completely gone to their heads.

M: Is it only because of the power people have they break the rules?

R: Oh, no. There's lots of other reasons. It could be... They're extremely corrupt, or they are greedy and want to make more money. So they break the rules in order to do that.

M: And do you think it would be better not to have rules at all?

R: I don't believe in rules. I think principles are the best way of governing a society. But that's just my own personal opinion.

M: Why?

R: Well, because if you have some common principles that are agreed upon, first of all, they're easier to remember and easier to put into action. And then you don't have to involve things like lawyers and what have you and massively overcomplicate the process.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your answers!

Discussion

M: So Rory doesn't believe in rules, he believes in common principles. Okay? And common principles which are agreed upon. Right? So which people agree upon? Agree upon or agree on. So we people agree on principles. And there are law rules, families have certain rules. These rules revolve around different things. So if rules revolve around, they are about different things. So for example, rules revolve around having good manners. Things like not swearing, not using bad language, saying thank you, not being rude. What other rules do families have?

R: They may have a curfew, so the kids have to be home at a certain time. Maybe they've got to be there for dinner, that kind of thing.

M: Yeah. So to have a curfew. So you should be home by 11 or by 10. So a curfew. So having a curfew also helps around the house. Doing some housework, for example. And children usually follow the golden rule, Rory said. Like the most important rule, you mean?

R: I think so. Like, it's, it's just treating other people how you would like to be treated. So if you don't want to be treated badly, then don't treat other people badly.

M: Yeah, like treat other people behave like this towards others. So treat other people how you would like to be treated. So how you would like other people to treat you to behave towards you? To say or do different things to you or for you. This rule is applicable. So we can apply this rule to everything, to all people. So treat people nicely everywhere. So you see? This rule is practical and applicable. And we usually say we apply this rule in different contexts.

R: Situations.

M: Situations. Yeah. Also, children follow... Can we say they follow a curfew?

R: I think we have to keep to a curfew.

M: Ooh, yeah. So children have to keep to a curfew. It's very often parents tell their children, you have to be home by 10. Or you have to be home by dinner. So they keep to a curfew. Children may not follow the rules, they can break the rules or bend the rules. And they can be forgiven or not forgiven, they can be punished. And Rory told us if children didn't know about this rule, they could be forgiven.

R: Yeah, most of the time it's all right.

M: So if a household. A household? If a family has some rules about not going near a pond or not going near certain people or not going near some building, that's a very specific thing. Yeah?

R: It is extremely specific. That's why I mentioned it. I think most people don't need this.

M: Yeah. And if, for example, a child doesn't know that he can't go near this pond, it's okay.

R: Well, it's not okay. It's just people have to be vigilant if they haven't mentioned the rule explicitly.

M: Yeah. So parents have to mention the rule explicitly. But usually, if parents say, don't go near this pond, children go. When we speak about rules, in schools, in workplaces. So at work. Rory told us about a litany of policies and rules. Like a rule or a policy. Because we often have a policy. Some policies or regulations at work. So a litany of something?

R: It's like a really long list.

M: Ooh... Yeah, like many rules, or like a litany of complaints from customers. Like a long list of unpleasant things. And a litany of something means unpleasant things, dear listener, okay? So very often like a litany of complaints. What else? A litany of...

R: Oh, God, a litany of problems.

M: Yeah.

R: Or a litany of issues to resolve.

M: And there is a never-ending litany of policies. So they never end. There's a neverending litany of roles. People need to keep them in line. So keep them in line? Like to follow them?

R: No, to control their behaviour.

M: And for example, like dress codes, certain codes of behaviour, certain ways of behaviour, procedures for various work processes. So there's a certain procedure for this kind of work. What did you mean that people are increasingly...

R: Litigious? That just means they're increasingly willing to take legal action against people who don't follow the rules.

M: Ooh, yeah. Yeah. So if I don't follow a rule, people call the police. For example, in Russia, you can't make any noise on a Sunday. So if it's Sunday, and you start kind of some construction work, you create a lot of noise. So I call the police and they do something about it. Yeah? So it's against the law to make loud noises on Sunday. For example, construction noises. What about public transport? People should follow certain rules on public transport, yeah?

R: Yeah.

M: And here, keeping your music down, or phone conversations, keep your phone conversations to yourself. And actually, now they say that it's a rule that you have to use headphones.

R: Really? Where?

M: Oh, yeah, in Russia. Yeah, it's a rule.

R: Oh, wow, very enlightened. We don't have this.

M: It's written down now that you have to use headphones. On planes as well. On planes, you have to use headphones. And actually, you can... If somebody just watches his stuff from the phone, without headphones, you can talk to the flight attendant and tell them okay, excuse me, could you tell this person to use headphones? It's exceptionally antisocial.

R: Yes. Which just means it's really antisocial.

M: It disturbs other people. It disturbs, it annoys other people. It's invading their personal space. So if I listen to music without headphones, everybody hears my music, and I'm invading people's personal space. What did you mean, when you said it crosses the line?

R: It just means that it breaks the rules or it breaks the socially established norm.

M: If I wear, I don't know, a short skirt, and a tight blouse to work and I work as a chief accountant, it crosses the line. So it's against the dress code.

R: You would never go against the dress code, though. You're always well dressed.

M: Yeah, stylish. Yeah, and then we say like on a train or on a bus, like people usually listen to music without headphones, and other rules related to shared spaces. So on public transport, we share some space. It's important in shared spaces people get along well with each other, so just have a good relationship, like behave nicely to each other. Transport companies could have a sign about certain rules. And something which is not permissible. What is it? It's not permissible.

R: It's something that you cannot do, or that you are not allowed to do.

M: Yeah. So you can't listen to loud music on a train. It's not permissible. And other people should be willing to go up to people who listen to loud music and ask them to keep the noise down.

R: So to approach them.

M: Approach them, go up to them, and ask them politely, could you keep the music down, could you keep the noise down? Also, if you have a day, when people can't make loud noises, or for example, they can't have parties after 11 pm at night, yeah? Or at night. So it's also a rule, that they have to keep the noise down. Also, you can talk about this as an example. So do you have such a rule in Scotland?

R: I know you're not allowed to use your car horn after a certain period of time, or after a certain time in the evening and before a certain time in the morning. But I'm not too sure about noise from parties and things.

M: Yeah, so you are not allowed to do this or that. People don't follow the rules, they break rules, and they bend certain rules. Why? Well, because they have the power.

R: The power goes to their head. But that just means to say that they think that because they have power they can do whatever they like, which is not true.

M: Yeah. And some rules are easily broken. And you gave an example of a public footpath. Like a path in the garden or in a park that's been cordoned off. So if something is cordoned off...

R: It's like they put a fence up to stop you from, well, from using something I suppose.

M: And usually, if some path is closed, many people just find it more convenient to bypass the Cordon. Bypass? Just walk through it. Even if it's closed. Some people think they are above the rules. Yeah. Politicians, for example, break the rules all the time, because they have the power. And they can get away with it. So you break the rule, you get away with it. So nothing is done. So there is no punishment against you. And maybe the power has gone to their head.

R: Well, they think they can get away with it. The consequence is that they're increasingly disliked.

M: Yeah, or for example, drinking and driving or speeding. So people pay and they get off scot-free. They're just, they are free to go. If the power goes to your head, you feel super powerful. And then you go and do crazy stuff. Or some people are greedy. Greedy? They want more and more. And some people are corrupt. Corrupt? Like corruption. So they break the rules. Right, dear listener, how are you doing? Are you okay? Thank you very much for listening! Let's follow some rules. Let's bend other rules.

R: And break others. Or completely ignore it.

M: We'll get back to you in our next episode. Okay? Bye!

R: Bye!

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