Hudson Valley Astrologer

“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Rules bore me! Like watching paint dry, or waiting for a pot to boil. Many rules that get put in place, for example if we consider securities rules for municipal bonds, are established because people tend to not be very considerate of one another. Instead, we need rules to displace common courtesy that seems to be in short supply whenever there is money involved. Perhaps it is true that rules ensure fairness, provide protection, and in the case of municipal bonds also create market efficiency BUT… Why? Why do we need such inane and redundant checks on the obvious?

We need rules for public spaces for example: “Carry in — Carry out”. Really? That’s a rule? Yes! We actually need a rule that guards parks and recreational spaces from then slovenly swine among us who could care less about living in a pigsty.

The workplace too has not only etiquette rules but mandates and training against harassment of all kinds. The rules imposed are necessary for enforcing common decency, which begs the question if there is even such a thing?

Social media supposedly has rules to maintain respectful interactions and prevent harassment… I say supposedly because there are apparently some platforms that consider such rules censorship. Which is a different complaint from my claim of boredom.

Rules are pervasive in society from protecting the environment to rules of the road concerning traffic patterns, yielding to others or acceding the right of way. We obviously need rules but my nature becomes incensed and impatient at the complexity of formalizing common decency, i.e. “watching paint dry.”

Life without rules, without Saturn, would quickly turn to chaos, Uranus. But too much Saturn, too much restriction, and not enough spontaneity, can feel limiting.

We need to find a balance between excessive control versus absolute freedom, and each in their own way needs to come to terms with any disparity between our individual needs versus societal strictures designed to help us get along and cooperate.

HVA

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