To break the rules, you have to know the rules

To break the rules, you have to know the rules

Yvonne Mason, a former teacher, recently posted a picture of a letter she got from the president, with her corrections. This president prides himself on breaking senseless rules, including many grammar rules. It raises an interesting question: when is breaking rules an act of defiance that creates change, and when is it just laziness? Let’s…

Which rules to break and when: a personal disruption guide

Which rules to break and when: a personal disruption guide

Breaking rules is necessary, because if you follow all the rules to the letter, you’ll never accomplish anything new and original. Ironically, though, every piece of advice on the Internet — including my book and my blog — is setting up new rules  (“Avoid the passive voice! Build your personal brand! Floss!). So should you break the…