Stephen Carter The Rules About Rules Summary

People tend to blindly cheat to get what they want, and go about it as if it were normal. People don’t usually want to work for things if they can get it the easy way. In Stephen L. Carter’s article “The Rules about Rules”, Carter explains why Americans choose to cheat and how they don’t necessarily know right from wrong. Carter’s interpretation is accurate people do lack integrity due to having low self-esteem, and not having the courage to be different and separating themselves from the crowd. The phrase “playing by the rules” is not something Americans know how to do. They don’t necessarily have rules or a guideline to play by. Carter explains how, in order for “us” Americans to understand the wrongfulness of our mischievous ways, we

For instance, a person who cheats in a game which essentially helps out his team for the better, makes not only his teammates joyous of his advantage but the fans too. The problem behind this, Carter argues, is that people essentially would get upset if this scenario was the other way around, and the player ended up telling the truth that he didn’t deserve that advantage. Americans definition of integrity is someone who speaks the “truth” and who is honest. They lack the true understanding of integrity that Carter explains to be a person who is honest and acts on it. A person who is not afraid of breaking the boundaries of what is morally right is someone who has integrity. Carter provides a good explanation of why people lack integrity and it’s because they do not fully understand from what is right and wrong.

In society it is hard to break away from boundaries, people like to stick with majorities vote. Ever notice why people follow the crowd? Even though they probably don’t agree with what they stand for. This is because people do not want to stick out and be the odd one. They like to feel secure and the fact that they’re not alone. People tend to just follow the crowd due to their lack of