%% date:: [[2023-08-31]] parent:: %% # [[Rules]] Rules are [[Limits]] for behaviour that are unilaterally imposed on another person. The unilteral imposition means that rules are inherently "take it or leave it". Some rules are necessary: for example, laws govern how we live together as a civilized society. It would be logistically difficult to solicit explicit consent from every new person joining the society. Rules, especially laws, can also cause other rules to exist, such as in the case of company policies based on legal regulations. Rules that are imposed on children and minors are often for their own protection. In [[Relationships]] between equals, however, the one-sidedness of rules are less justifiable because they establish a [[Power dynamics|power dynamic]] that the parties involved (usually the person on the receiving end of the rules) may or may not have been [[Consent|consented]] to. Unlike [[Agreements]], rules only have one way out: leave the relationship. In this sense, rules work like [[Ultimatums]] and are a type of emotional violence because they do not leave space for others to dissent.