@cryptogee,

As usual, beautifully written.

For instance I won't walk on the right, in front of a 'keep left' sign, if there are hundreds of others obeying the rule. That's the difference between being rebellious, and being a dick.

Touche.

I've been arguing in the same vein.

Segments of modern society seem to have become obsessed with their individual freedoms. No one can tell them what to do or believe, and no slight is too small to ignore. Micro-aggressions, that's so yesterday ... now they're on hair-trigger alert for nano-aggressions.

They live in a world of trespass.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm pretty big into freedom too. But I realize that exercising certain of my freedoms begins to impinge upon the freedoms of others. And, that this is an inevitable occurrence when living together in groups.

And so, that's why we have rules. To try to minimize stepping on each other's toes. But we can't have rules for everything, if for no other reason than nobody would be able to remember them all.

And so, that's why we have manners and civility. Manners and civility, too, are rules, but of a far more ambiguous nature. Manners and civility are about granting the benefit of the doubt to the other guy. About cutting him some slack. About not being pedantic, thereby greasing the wheels of social interaction.

Following rules, whether legalistic or social, does not make you weak. Breaking them does not make you a Titan amongst men.

Probably ... it just means you're being a dick.