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50 Genius People Who Beat The System By Following The Rules (New Pics)
Imagine a world without any rules. It’s pretty hard to do, right? It’s possible that human beings as a species simply can’t exist without hierarchies and structure and deciding how long one’s lunch break should be. Civilization as a whole wouldn’t exist without ideas and behaviors we can all agree on.
However, some rules seem unjust, unfair, and all-around oppressive. That’s why folks try to bend them without breaking them, and Bored Panda has collected the most clever and creative ways how people beat the system by following the rules to the letter. It’s some truly amazing inspiration for all of you Pandas who might feel too restricted, whether it’s at work or elsewhere. And it’s rock-solid proof that you don’t necessarily need to resort to anarchy to beat the system at its own game.
Remember to upvote your fave pics as you scroll down, and be sure to drop by the comment section to share your own stories about how you worked around unfair rules. Oh, and in case you need some more examples of how the rules are powerless against the human imagination, check out Bored Panda’s earlier two articles about it right here and over here.
Suzanne Degges-White, Licensed Counselor, Professor, and Chair at the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University, shared her insights about the importance of rules and structure in life with Bored Panda.
“While novelty is always enticing, for the most part, humans need structure and routine— especially as young kids and then mature adults. Structure gives us security and even though we may fight against it, we feel safe knowing that rules exist that keep us (and others) in bounds,” she explained to us.
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Celebrating Pride Despite Our HOA Not Allowing Pride Flags. They Don’t Regulate Yard Lights Though, So... There’s Always A Loophole
So glad we don’t have HOA in Australia. I can’t think of anything worse than a bunch of busy bodies with too much time on their hands telling me what to do. No, thanks.
I don't understand this HOA business... I know what they are, but do they have actual rights/power to do this? Apart from this being discriminating?
You basically agree to be bound by their rules if you buy a house that is governed by one.
Load More Replies...Some entities see it as a political movement and not the flag of an actual governmental body. Same reason they don’t allow BLM flags or Make America Great Again flags. They only allow “official” flags. I’m not saying I agree with it. Don’t downvote me just because you disagree. I do too!
Load More Replies...Stop having HOA's - all I have ever heard was bad things about them! If it is YOUR property, you should be able to display WHATEVER flag you find appropriate! We do have freedom of speech, and the open display of a flag is protected under that!
Depends on the flag, a flag like the nazi or isis one shouldn't be allowed because it encourages people to gather and impose their own monkey laws on people, which will eventually cause chaos and devolve a previously civilised society. Altough they do serve as a sign to stay away from that person
Load More Replies...I’m in Australia where we don’t have HOA (thank goodness!). I’m curious, is this a ban on pride flags specifically, or all flags?
Ps. What happens if you don’t comply? Do they have the authority to make you sell your house and leave the area?
Load More Replies...Ah yes… the HOA. You pay them to fine you if your grass isn’t cut and/or you have a pride flag.
in this scenario does "HOA" stand for "Homophobic, Obtuse, Assholes" ? I'm so glad HOA's aren't a thing here, and I don't understand why they are in the US, since it's seemingly just for Karens to b***h about their neighbours gardens or whatever...? Those lights look AMAZING though. Even better than a flag.
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Load More Replies...What a clever, amazing and beautiful way to celebrate PRIDE... thanks HOA for your discriminating rules. This is a far more beautiful way anyway.... 😆. Ingenious people
I'm thinking they would let you get away with it once then quickly write a new rule to keep you from doing it again.
Load More Replies...Omg. Do they allow any flags? Seriously how can they tell you what to put in your own yard. I will never live in a plane with hoa.
Unless they don't specifically allow pride flags, we kinda need to put "They don't allow flags or no flags except USA" This makes it seem like it is being predudice, when in alot of cases it is to prevent people from getting in fights. Like flying a rebel flag etc.
I love this!! Considering doing it for my daughter, who is non-binary, since we have had two Pride flags stolen...one was found shredded on our porch with a note threatening our lives.
I’m curios for more info. Is it legal to deny pride flags but allow other flags? That sounds so sketchy and wrong.
I read stuff on here everyday but this is the first time I've actually hit that upvote button. I love everything about this.
Damn hoas with their moral that are actually discrimination against anyone they choose . But the house lit up way bigger and better than any flag
" A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to perservere and endure under overwhelming obstacles' (Christopher Reeve). You, our friend, are a hero today!!
I honestly don't know what the deal is with people having issues with pride flags, Jesus, just tell guests that the neighbors are *VERY* religious😂😂😂
If that's in the US, I'd start asking the HOA why they feel ok with discriminating against a Federally protected class.
Honestly if it's in the United States and it looks like it probably is they probably have rules against displaying any flag except the United States flag and possibly the state flag. This of course also bans novelty flags holiday flags collegiate flags and so on. That is all perfectly legal so that's probably how they get around it. It's technically not discrimination if no one is allowed to do it.
Load More Replies...I've never seen a Bored Panda post that gives me warm fuzzy feelings about HOAs, prior to tonight.
It would look cool even if it wasn’t for pride… it’s already freaking awesome on its own
Definitely livings things up n gay(just a play on word's)! But it's awesome to express urself.
Won't let us put up a reasonable sized flag...okay....we'll turn the entire freaking house into a display. I Love it!
Good for you; it looks powerful and beautiful. And your HOA is full of bigots.
Nice way to replace painting the house's external walls !!
Good for you. My Aunties weren’t able to be as open but they are buried together!!
BRILLIANT! Thank goodness we live on our little ranch with a private road and NO HOA! This really does look great! Beautiful house and trees!
You know what I find interesting. You want to push your agenda about being Queer and posting photos or colorful f@g flags because you feel you have that constitutional right. But all of you are nothing short of hypocrites. You want your freedom of speech and expression, however, if somebody else speaks out against your beliefs then you censor their comments and delete them. Now explain that to me, isn't that going against the whole idea of our freedom of speech and expression or do you just pick and choose what works for you like a dictatorship?
So Veterans get about three days out of the year but "Pride" lasts a month. Something very wrong about that.
I really feel for you my friends & I love the colors of the house in lights my friends.
The lights are so amazingly bright and beautiful on the house and trees! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜 I officially want to do this. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
What's wrong with the pride flag, I don't see anything wrong with it as its just a colorful flag that supports the LGBQT+, oh wait I see HOA has a problem with people who support them or that are in the LGBQT+ community
Does that mean no Christmas lights? Saw a display in Australia done with AC DC music 🎵. Got to love those Aussies
This is some upper middle class raging against the machine right here.
Then you'd have to get rid of Christmas lights too, which would be unpopular.
Load More Replies...Just shows how much others have control over you through housing!
well 1, i think they need to change the rules and 2, i think this gets the messge across a lot better
Just a guess... most of them??? (It appears that most HOAs are "governed" by a**l~retentive bullies)
Load More Replies...Sigh. HOA's can be annoying but no one is being forced to join them. If people want to collectively determine what their neighborhood looks like and everyone agrees to that, then that is a lawful organization under the law. Don't like it? Don't live there.
Load More Replies...Great way of getting around ridiculous regulations. Also, it looks damn cool!
I don't live in an HOA neighborhood, my neighbor across the street has their Pride Flag up. I've never lived in an HOA neighborhood.
Very innovative, I'd say. But ... do you really need to "shout out" you're gay ? I mean, I'm straight and one of my daughters is lesbian and both of us, and the whole family for that matter, agree the whole "pride flag in every corner" is an absurd thing to do/watch. So cringy sometimes !!! She, as a lesbian, avoids doing business (from a simple cup of coffee to a estate property) if there is a pride flag or whatever in its advertisement. She, and I, couldn't care less about someone's leaning sexuality, we're only doing business and that's it, nothing more nothing less. Why then "shove" it to everybody ? Ridicolous !!! Not US citizen, just an european guy who often times laughs at the absurdity of some of your laws and behaviors. Peace.
Pride Month when smashed together spells Demon. It was never smart to celebrate the tearing apart of the American family. Family is what makes us strong and families can only exist when men and women procreate. All of this pride c**p isn't a cover to hide the tearing apart of the fabric that holds our society together - the family.
Pride cometh before the fall. Why are people so adamant on sharing their sexuality with everyone.??
People these days are just screaming to let the world know their sexuality.
What country is that, if someone can tell you that? China? Russia? North Korea?
America. And people agree to be part of a HOA (Home Owners Association) when they buy certain homes in a neighborhood that has one..
Load More Replies...They can decide that you put on your own walls...? 'Freedom' in America is relative, I guess.
Homeowners that agree to be part of an association that collectively determine those rules have to abide by them. I am pretty sure many other free countries also have similar organizations. But no one is forcing Americans to live in a HOA neighborhood. It is completely voluntary.
Load More Replies...Too obvious. Good satire isn't hitting your audience in the face with it
Load More Replies...So sad to see the self hating people in here. Hope you come to accept yourself.
Load More Replies...imagine not being able to even spell your homophobic insults correctly
Load More Replies...Closet cases who can't even spell their slurs right are so 2010.
Load More Replies...Why? How on earth are they "distracting"? If you get distracted by many colours at once, the problem is your attention span.
Load More Replies...According to Professor Degges-White, we might feel the urge to rebel when we become teenagers. However, this doesn’t change the fact that rules, as a whole, are vital to have.
“During adolescence, the urge to challenge parents takes hold, but without rules/expectations, we would feel adrift. While some of us will always try to bend the rules, break the rules, or challenge the rules, there is comfort in knowing that large-scale chaos isn't going to happen due to the rules that we may be fighting against,” she told Bored Panda.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that everyone has a different level of tolerance for following the rules. Some might embrace them to the fullest and have a difficult time living outside their routines. Meanwhile, others rebel against any and all rules (sometimes to the point of absurdity).
Old Lady At The Bank
My gran is reading over my shoulder and just said ‘do you have that lady’s number?’
The HOA In My Friend’s Neighborhood Recently Threatened Her Neighbors With A Fine If They Didn’t Hide Their Trash Cans. This Is Their Solution
“There are some people who feel that any attempts to get them to ‘fall in line’ are unacceptable. I once worked with someone who would always turn in their reports late—whether it was late by a day or just a couple of minutes past the stated deadline, they were consistently going to buck the deadline,” Professor Degges-White revealed to Bored Panda.
“When asked why they behaved in this way, their response was that they were able to maintain control when they didn't follow the rules. For them, rules at work were something to be broken in order to satisfy their ‘control freak’ tendency,” she said.
“Others, though, use rules as ‘base level expectations’ and want to exceed those expectations and follow rules to a ‘t.’ They maintain their own sense of control by staying way inside of the rules—they take pride in this behavior.”.
Unauthorized Protests Are Forbidden In Russia, So Artists In St. Petersburg Decided To Do Some Open-Air Practice
Shorts Are Now Deemed "Inappropriate" For Retail Counter Workers At USPS. Skorts Are Still Ok
Both of them are rocking those skirts! Edit: thanks you guys for the upvotes, this is the most I've ever gotten!
My Wife Is A Teacher And Found This While Marking An Assessment
Whatever each individual’s tolerance for rules might be, society as a whole would fall apart without them.
“Everyone has a different view on rules/boundaries and it might be nature for some and nurture for others. However, on a larger scale, societies cannot function without clear rules and boundaries. Chaos and anarchy result—at any level—when rules fall by the wayside,” the professor told Bored Panda.
Having structure in your life can help you deal with stress. Strict schedules and routines can be very useful when the world seems unpredictable and your future looks uncertain. It’s something to fall back on. Something to rely on. It’s something to give you a sense of control when there’s chaos left, right, and center.
He Saw Us Feeding The Ducks And Pretended To Be One
“Look at me! I’m a duck! Quack quack.. quack.. it’s pretty cold down here”
My Mum Allowed Me To Put Any Flag On My Wardrobe Doors Except For The Pride Flag. So, 241 Flags Later
I Wasn't Allowed To Use A Notebook At My Cashier Job, So I Started Writing My Book About Bullying On Printed Out Receipts. This Year I Finally Published My Novel
In fact, a lack of structure can actually lead to more stress down the line. “If people don't have structure and are sitting around with less to focus on, then they also probably will find themselves thinking about the stressful situation more, which can also lead to additional stress and anxiety,” Rachel Goldman, Ph.D., told Very Well Mind
Besides lowering your stress levels, having a regular routine can help you form healthy habits, and make you feel more focused and productive. This can work both with self-imposed and outwardly-imposed routines. However, in some cases, we might not agree with all the rules in place. We might question the need for them or we might feel that the alternatives that we propose are far better.
This can lead to tension between those imposing and enforcing the rules, as well as those who are expected to abide by them. Let’s be frank, some workplace rules are truly bonkers, have no bearing to reality, or might be in place to stroke some managers’ egos. Meanwhile, others might be there for good reason (even if it’s not immediately apparent). It all comes down to good, effective leadership and whether or not bosses actually care about their employees. A good leader can create rules that make sense and benefit (nearly) everyone, not just the few.
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Belarus People React To Lukashenko's Prohibition Of Pro-Democratic Flags
Five Words
Eddy Ng, the Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business at Queen’s University, told Bored Panda earlier that strong leaders in the workplace are those who are moral, principled, and choose to do the right thing. They stand in stark contrast to weak leaders who only do the things that make them popular and have a hard time making firm decisions: they flip-flop, they dither, they can’t make up their minds.
“The notion of servant leadership is gaining attention in the workplace. Although it is associated with many of the strong leadership traits such as empathy, selflessness, and humility, the focus is on the leader’s propensity to serve (or support) their followers. Servant leaders empower and lift up followers (employees) to motivate and fuel their passion,” the professor explained to Bored Panda.
Good Boi Knows He's Not Allowed To Have Sticks Inside
Czech Fans Were Forced To Take Down The Ukrainian Flag At The Championship. So They Found A Loophole
On those flags it says "Go home Ivan" and "Natasha waits for you". Those are lines from pretty good song wrote to protest the invasion. Funny thing, in their clip the role of Ivan is played by Petr Novotny, who is major of one part of Prague and he is a huge pain in the a*s for Russians for a long time.
Satellite Dishes Are Strictly Forbidden
“Employees can manage that relationship to have work satisfaction. In this instance, employees need to communicate what they need (tools) or work conditions (autonomy) in order for them to perform optimally when working with a controlling boss. Employees need to convey what they can and are able to perform,” he said that the principle of exchange is an important one in workplaces.
When The Sign Says No Photography
This Restaurant Is Only Allowed To Sell Beer If Someone Buys Food
My Kindergartener Was Feeling Proud Of This Solution To Her Homework
However, it’s not just at work where we find rules to abide by. Whether we like it or not, we also adhere to certain limits at home, too. In healthy relationships, both partners make the rules together, communicate efficiently, and respect each other’s boundaries. However, in some relationships, one partner might hold too much power or someone might not be able to enforce the rules and boundaries that matter to them.
Sandwich Only Sits With My Wife, But I Think I Found A Way To Beat The System
Iranian Girl Cheers For Her Favourite Football Team From Behind The Fence As Iranian Women Aren't Allowed Into Stadiums
Told This Guy I Only Date People 6 Feet Or Up And He Sent Me This
“In relationships and life in general, too much power can corrupt a person’s behavior. A man or a woman who is normally a very nice, caring, loving and understanding person, can sometimes become quite selfish, mean and unloving if given too much power in a romantic relationship,” Dan Bacon, a dating and relationship expert, told Bored Panda recently.
“Sometimes, a woman will be in a relationship with a man who says that he has boundaries, but then lets her defy those boundaries on a daily basis because he doesn’t know how to stand up to her in an assertive, loving, and effective way,” he explained that boundaries need to be enforced for them to matter.
Cat Isn't Allowed On The Table, Found A Loophole To Still Be The Center Of Attention While We Eat
I See No Issues Here
I'm Not Sure That's What They Meant
“All he does is get upset, sulk and seek pity from her when she defies his boundaries, which she sees as weak, wimpy, and possibly even pathetic. This can then result in her losing respect for him, which can then make her feel as though his so-called ‘boundaries’ aren’t something that she needs to adhere to,” the expert pointed out that boundaries mean nothing if they’re only theoretical. Pleading, demanding, or trying to reason with someone will not get them to respect your boundaries.
“That kind of problematic outcome often happens when one person has way too much power in a relationship.”
It’s 70’s Day And This Kid Is Dressing For The 1770’s
It's Not Medicine, It's Pepsi
That Wasn't An Option But Well Done Anyway
A healthy relationship means that the power dynamic isn’t skewed too far one way or the other.
“Having boundaries respected is not about a man being overly domineering or bossy and making his girlfriend or wife feel like she has no power or say. That is not loving or effective and it will create many relationship problems and most likely cause the relationship to end in a breakup,” he told us.
He Is Not Allowed To Put His Paws On The Screen Door So This Is What He Does
There's Always A Loophole
Roxy Knows She's Allowed On The Barstool, And Not On The Counter. Roxy Also Likes To Test Her Limits
“A man needs to approach the relationship in a way where his girlfriend or wife feels respected, but also feels the need to respect him in return. If respect is only one way in the relationship, problematic behavior will naturally emerge and boundaries may be defied or disrespected by an otherwise nice, loving, and caring person.”
Thought This Belongs Here
If You Have A Stain On Your Shirt, Outline The Stain With A Pen And Give It A Name. This Will Make It Seem Like You Visited A Random Island
I Was Doing Homework When I Did This
My 9-Year-Old Cousin's Invention. I Think He Did Good
Well Played, Sir
My Fourth Grader’s Math Homework. She Said “This Way I Didn’t Even Need To Think About It”
She's Not Allowed On The Couch
Playing Outside
Today's version of me sitting halfway up a tree reading, after having been told to stop reading in my room and go outside and play
In The 1990s, A California Man, Steve Comisar, Began Putting Ads In National Magazines Selling "Solar Powered Dryers" For $49.95
Customers would then receive a simple clothesline in the mail.
My Professor Asked For The Essay To Be In Times New Roman And A4 Size, He Didn't Say It Needed To Be On Paper Though
He Didn't Say It
Teacher Said We Are Allowed To Bring Single Side Paper For Notes During Final
Very Fussy Chihuahua Will Only Eat If Another Dog Is Watching. Here’s Our Workaround While Our Other Dog Is Away
He Knows He's Not Allowed On The Counter, But I Never Said Anything About The Lunchbox
I Wasn’t Allowed To Play Much, So Usually I Woke Up Earlier Than Everyone And Played On The PS1 With The Sound On Mute For A Couple Of Hours. Until I Got Caught
Why is there a demon in the window thing on the far right? What is that?
My Wife Is An English Teacher. She Gave This Student An A For This Assignment
My Girlfriend Bet Me She Could Write Any Swear Word On My Calculator, I Bet Her $50 She Couldn’t
Paris Marathon Was Cancelled So This Dude Ran Back And Forth On His 7 Meter Balcony For A Marathon Length
My Friend Works As An English Teacher In Sweden
My Daughter's Job Only Allows Black Pants And No Rips. Her Normal Pair Was Still In The Washer So She Hacked It. Will It Work?
People smuggling alcohol in theaters or pools or wherever, can you seriously not enjoy your time there without drinking? That's more sad than smart.
not really, as a serious introvert I can only face crowds of people if I am toasted. So, public swimming pool, party, sports event, etc. nope. Can't do it without alcohol. It's a thing.
Load More Replies...Some of these are quite petty. Bringing a record player, seriously? Next on BP : why do schools and workplaces keep adding new rules, like we can’t just decide for ourselves what is normal behavior?
Some people NEED to break the rules, however small. I know a lady who’s so proud of her daughter for always doing what she wants, bending the rules, getting special treatment, and it’s so cringe. Of course they’re very inconsiderate of others too.
Load More Replies...My elementary-aged son was not allowed to stay up for night baseball games. Found him in his room listening to the call on the local radio station while watching the game with binoculars on the neighbor's TV.
Calling any of these people geniuses is a pretty stupid thing to say. Some of them were mildly clever...
Wow I'm guessing your personality has your mailbox full of party invitations
Load More Replies...Some of these were just filler a few make absolutely no sense really a cloud so what, some are just nonsense.
People smuggling alcohol in theaters or pools or wherever, can you seriously not enjoy your time there without drinking? That's more sad than smart.
not really, as a serious introvert I can only face crowds of people if I am toasted. So, public swimming pool, party, sports event, etc. nope. Can't do it without alcohol. It's a thing.
Load More Replies...Some of these are quite petty. Bringing a record player, seriously? Next on BP : why do schools and workplaces keep adding new rules, like we can’t just decide for ourselves what is normal behavior?
Some people NEED to break the rules, however small. I know a lady who’s so proud of her daughter for always doing what she wants, bending the rules, getting special treatment, and it’s so cringe. Of course they’re very inconsiderate of others too.
Load More Replies...My elementary-aged son was not allowed to stay up for night baseball games. Found him in his room listening to the call on the local radio station while watching the game with binoculars on the neighbor's TV.
Calling any of these people geniuses is a pretty stupid thing to say. Some of them were mildly clever...
Wow I'm guessing your personality has your mailbox full of party invitations
Load More Replies...Some of these were just filler a few make absolutely no sense really a cloud so what, some are just nonsense.