Sometimes the rules keep things from getting better. True, protocol and policy can keep society from falling apart … but blind, strict adherence to rules is the stuff of dystopian science fiction.

We’re better than that.

So what rules can we break in order to make things better? And what does better look like?

Breaking all of the rules is foolish. Rules serve a purpose and they create valuable guard rails. But where can we push against those rails? And where does it make sense to remove them?

Which rules are holding us back from better?

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It’s worth clarifying: there are lots of guidelines (suggested by experts) related to curbing the spread of infectious disease. These are not the rules to break. The short-term improvement — like having fun at an over-crowded pool party — ignores the long-term risk. “Better now” does not always translate to a better tomorrow.