Litter

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Play nice.

Two basic rules we all hear while we are still very young.

Then the fun starts. It seems human beings like to make rules, need to make rules, are driven to try and control every tiny thought and fill the world with enough litter to drive any rat in a maze nuts.

Who we love, how we experience religion, the way we treat our bodies, things that should really not be anyone else's business unless we choose to share them become part of the rules defining right and wrong.

The problem is that many people feel they need to make rules for other people, so they will do things their way and the other problem is that people trying to follow all the rules cannot possibly do so. The rules contradict each other and often make no sense at all.

Rules are just things people make up. Sometimes they are good, like look both ways when you cross the street. Sometimes they are just litter scattered by people with their noses in other people's business.

The best reason to have rules beyond those two at the top is so that people can break them. People love to break rules. It excites them, makes them feel brave and daring and special. Without rules to break there are so many things that would cease to be "fun."

Picture after boring picture of people sticking their tongue out on Facebook.

People sneaking around having sex in airplanes and libraries and other places where they might "get caught." People having secret affairs.  If we just said, "Go to it." The novelty might wear off. Maybe it would even go the opposite direction and people would secretly be faithful to the one they love.

Everyone knows that many people at the top of any chain ignore the rules they don't like, so that means rules are for other people. Right?

Without all the rules what would social media be horrified about?

Maybe just the things that actually hurt people?

And we are right back to those two basic rules. The one we start children out on, play nice. And the one we hope people grow into, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you can't abide by those, all the rest are just litter in the cage.