Why do People Break the Rules?

Whether you are a well-conditioned airplane pilot, an internationally acclaimed actress, or a law abiding commoner attempting his take at freedom, transgression is equally plausible for them all. However, each scenario’s appeal towards transgression is different, some are justified and others not. For example, in a well-developed functioning society where everyone has a say, transgression without a concrete reason is defined as misconduct, almost automatically being noted as unscrupulous by everyone. Conversely, in a war torn country, transgression can be seen as an act of valor and is commended by the masses despite disapproval of the controlling regime. Although breaking the rules can be equally tempting for everyone, each unique case of transgression must be evaluated based on its circumstances and reasons as to why the rule was broken, despite it being equally punishable by law no matter what the circumstances, shows that transgression can be divided into three distinct variations.

In Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori and Rom Brafman, a first variation is presented, consisting of KLM Flight 4805 and Captain Jacob Van Zanten. Van Zanten was, “one of the most experienced and accomplished pilots in the world” (10) yet, he still chose not to abide by the regulations set forth for the safety of everyone. During his last flight, Van Zanten was forced to take a detour to a nearby small island airport. As time progressed, Van Zanten grew more and more worrisome not because his passengers would be late, but because his prestigious record as a perfect pilot was on the line. According to Chris Mooney, in his article, he states that “we push threatening information away; we pull friendly information close” (45); a...

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...t she got from breaking the law. Her pleasure seeking area of the brain kicked in and she blindly followed it. Rather than evaluating her circumstances, she continues to follow her diagnosis bias, meaning she is unable to “reconsider those initial value judgments” (Brafman) once they were made. Her sway had placed her in a right winged situation where she firmly believes that she will only gain pleasure from breaking rules.

In the Syrian City of Deraa, several young children are arrested for antigovernment speech. This sparks a small flame that eventually led to ginormous flames of revolution against the regime. Initially the protesters simply wanted to loosen the noose that was tied on them by the government only slightly, but as the government grip tightening; their plea for freedom grew (What’s happening in Syria). Being universal men, they could “think of no