Have you ever noticed how many rules we unconsciously follow each day? Most of us were raised with a list of rules that help us to get along with others or to achieve some goal: Share your toys. Pick up after yourself. Don’t run with scissors. Kids often get frustrated because they have so many rules to follow. Because nobody is perfect. We all bend the rules occasionally. Yes, rules can keep us safe. They can help us create a civil society. But we can also go overboard in creating rigid rules that they interfere with common sense.

A man named Walton had put in an application for an apartment, and now he was appearing for his interview with the co-op board. This co-op board was notoriously picky. They were very proud of how quiet their building was and made this their number one rule for …