Rules

We explain what rules are, what types exist and what they are for. Also, differences between rules and norms.

What are the rules?

In one way or another, we all know what rules are, because our societies are governed by them at all times. So wherever we are, there is usually a code, a regulation, a set of guidelines by which to be guided and that is precisely what we call rules or norms, depending on the case.

The word rule comes from Latin regulateswhich was the name of an instrument used to measure, just like the rulers we use at school. Just as these instruments serve to apply the same measurement criteria to all things, A rule in society is something regular, that is, it does not change and it does not adapt to each case or situation, but cases and situations adapt to it.

So we call rules all types of rules or ordinances that are applied in this way: the rules of a sports game, the rules of a religious ordinance, the rules of coexistence of a building, etc. We even informally call a woman's menstrual period “period,” since it occurs regularly and unchangingly in monthly cycles.

Behind every rule there is always an authority that issues them since in an organized society there are institutions that dictate and enforce them. However, many of them, especially in more informal contexts, can be modified in certain situations. But in general, rules are transmitted from one generation to another, or can be learned by third parties, when they remain identical to themselves.

Types of rules

There are many types of rules in the world, and many ways to classify them. Next, we will try to do it based on its different contexts of use:

• Grammar rules. Those that are specific to the language and that regulate the way it is used and how it works, so that it is always the same without depending on the user who speaks it.
• Calculation rules. Those that are applied in a mathematical or measurement system, and that serve to obtain reliable results, since they always operate in the same way.
• Rules of the game. Those that belong to a recreational area, such as a sport, a board game or another nature, and that govern the way in which the participants must play, so that there are no misunderstandings or injustices.
• Legal rules Those that are contemplated in a legal code, that is, in the law, and that govern activities in a certain sector of social life, to guarantee justice and prevent illegality.
• Traffic rules. Also of a legal nature, they are those that regulate the way cars circulate on the roads of a nation: speed limits, passing turns, mandatory turns, etc.

What are the rules for?

It is not difficult to notice that life in any community, of any type, is sustained based on a common body of rules. In other words, wherever we go, we will always find regulations, mandates, prohibitions, codes and a whole enormous variety of regulations whose purpose is to order and make community life predictable.

The latter may seem trivial, but in reality it is not: Without rules we would be at the mercy of the will of the strongest all the time distrusting others, coexistence would be chaotic and thus it is impossible to build a society that works. In fact, the most prosperous societies are those in which there is greater trust in each other and in the system, precisely because the rules are clear and are followed.

So rules serve to make our lives easier, even if at first glance they may seem annoying or annoying. But to the extent that everyone complies with them, then everyone will also enjoy the benefits of a more organized society.

Rules and regulations

Normally, We use the terms “rules” and “norms” as synonyms, indistinctly. However, there is a degree of differentiation between them that should be understood:

• In general, a norm is the result of social consensus. That is, it is a “law” of mutual acceptance by those who make up a community, and which has a local scope of application. They are not usually included in legal documents, and for this reason they tend to be more flexible, adaptable and conventional, so that they can vary substantially from one area to another. Coexistence rules, for example, apply in a specific building to those who live in it, and can be discussed and reconsidered at a condominium meeting, or even on even less formal occasions.
• Instead, the rules tend to be more formal and have authority behind them that is, a threat of sanction that may be legal or simply moral. Usually, rules are born from a norm, for example, from custom: then they are consecrated, that is, hardened and formalized, and some even form part of legal codes or laws, thus guaranteeing their compliance by the State.

References

• “Rule” on Wikipedia.
• “Social norm” on Wikipedia.
• “What are rules for?” (video) in the Ministry of Public Education of the Government of Mexico.
• “The importance of norms and rules for young people” at Universidad Panamericana (Mexico).