Remember The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen? Every story had a lesson in it, a rule to live by.

For instance, in The Emperor’s New Clothes, a couple of weavers conned the emperor into thinking he had invisible clothes when he had none at all. Lesson: Don’t always believe what everyone tells you. Also, if you can’t see it, maybe it isn’t there.

The Snow Queen emphasized the struggle between good and evil. Frozen was loosely based on this story.

The Little Mermaid focused on how important a human soul was. The Nightingale was about how the real thing, in this case a bird, is better than a fake version of it.

Andersen, a Danish author, wrote several other timeless tales for children, which presented tips in the form of a story for what to do in this complex world of ours.

All children want to fit in, to be accepted. Therefore, it helps to have rules to live by.

Here are some common rules you may have heard.

No, you shouldn’t stare at people. That’s not polite.

No, you shouldn’t interrupt others. That’s not polite either.

No, don’t put your sticky fingers on that. Wash your hands first.

No, you shouldn’t take something that doesn’t belong to you. That’s stealing. If you want to borrow something, ask for permission first. If the answer is no, respect that person’s answer.

No, you shouldn’t bully others. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Respect is earned.

No, you shouldn’t go around hitting others with no provocation on their part.

Even if provoked, it may be better to choose your response rather than to react impulsively. Again, treat others as you would like to be treated.

No, you shouldn’t scream at others.

Would anyone like this to be done to them?

No, you shouldn’t throw things in anger at other people. Stick to playing catch or baseball instead.

No, you shouldn’t force someone to do something they don’t want to do, like making them drink to excess, or forcing them to hurt another.

No, you shouldn’t barge in on someone without knocking on the door or asking for permission.

No, you shouldn’t trespass on someone else’s property. What’s theirs isn’t yours.

No, you shouldn’t throw a temper tantrum whenever you don’t get your way. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose.

These are all things many, but perhaps not all, children have heard over the years.

I know I heard these and other rules while I was young.

One would think there was nothing left to do after all of those “noes.” But that wouldn’t be true.

Basically, respect other people and their privacy. Don’t encroach on them or their property.

If you follow these fundamental rules, you can happily do all sorts of things. You can play, explore, work, innovate, invent, imagine, dream, create, or socialize, to name a few.

It would be nice if everyone followed the rules. But they don’t. Unfortunately, some think these rules do not apply to adults. Not so.

That’s why, for many of these infractions, we still need police.

As always, I will strive to add a dose of realism, while putting some worth in your while.

by Jewel

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