Rules are a set of explicit and understood regulations or procedures within a particular activity. Rules are set often to keep things in order, and gain control over an area or people. Most of the time on the first day of school, teachers introduce a set of ‘golden rules’ students have to follow in their lessons, so as to set expectations properly; even at the governmental level, authorities set rules to protect civil rights of citizens and regulate life in the community. Rules are a set of mechanisms that influence the substantial development of the world and humanity. Rules provoke the deriving of civilisation, contribute to the development of education and exhibit the sanctity of sports.
A well-developed system of rules helps humanity to avoid chaos and many societal problems caused by lack of regulations. Laws dictate what is proper and what is wrong. In many spheres of life, these guidelines set the basis of our behaviour in society. The Liquor Control Act implemented in Singapore restricts citizens to purchase alcohol after 10.30pm and punishes anyone who does not abide by these set of rules. These rules effectively helped to regulate public behaviour, preventing violent or irresponsible behavior at night. It has prevented the misuse of liquor and had a significant impact on the amenity and the serenity of a local neighbourhood. Hence, laws teach citizens the proper way they should behave and this assists in the establishment of shared values. With these shared values entrenched within citizens, they can then work and socialise better with one another, thereby encouraging non-violent and peaceful avenues of civic engagement. This increases their sense of belonging toward the country and builds a sense of togetherness within people. Therefore, rules are essential as it fosters peace and security.
Rules contribute greatly to the development of education. Students are still young and too immature to make discerning decisions. However, rules guide them along as it allows students to learn moral values. Discipline teaches accountability in students as it teaches them to realise their mistakes and to own up to them. Schools do not allow bullying and strictly punish students who fail to comply with these rules, these consequences can even include caning or expulsion. Schools also restrict truancy, punishing students with detentions or reflection sessions if they play truant. These rules then educate students to realise the severity of such behaviour. Other than that, simple school rules like reaching schools on time, or greeting teachers before class teach students important moral values like punctuality and respect. These moral values direct students towards the right path to lead their lives. This helps to build students to have strong moral principles and to follow the path of integrity, attaining upright and virtuous character. Hence, rules provide an orderly, productive and safe environment for students to learn and develop into responsible and law-abiding adults.
Rules are essential in the sanctity of sports. Rules in sports provide an agreement of understanding to a competition.Without rules, there would be no structure to guide the players on how to play the sport. Rules make sure that they are not written to not favour any player or team playing the sport. One of the made-up rules in table tennis is to play a rally to decide who serves first in a match. But such a rule favours the more skilled player, causing it to be unfair to the less skilled player. The official rule is to flip a coin or spin the racket, which does not favour either player as it would be determined by chance. Hence, this shows that rules promote a sense of fairness. Now that the athletes are restricted under the same conditions, they will then get to realise their true abilities and potential. On the other hand, this also encourages athletes to exert their best effort in the game, making the game more intense, exhibiting the true spirit of sports.
In a nutshell, rules are part and parcel of our lives, and these are especially essential in areas such as protecting civil rights, educating youngsters as well as the sanctity of sports. Rules guide our actions towards desired results. There is an anonymous quote, “Rules are for the obedience of fools and guidance of wise men”, no matter what kind of a person we are, rules are important as they always would guide us towards the right path and help us make much more discerning decisions in life.