Rules and Standards

I came across this excellent quote around the midway point of tax season. It so perfectly encapsulated the challenges I felt I was facing at the time. In my experience, those who are armchair quarterbacks/coaches/accountants become obsessed with what the rules say rather than attempting to understand what the rules mean to say and why the rules exist. There is a fundamental difference here, and the onus is on us to better understand rather than complain about the person who wrote the rule.The quote: "Rules are for those who cannot follow directions. Standards are for those who aspire to do special things." Tim Corbin, Head Baseball Coach, Vanderbilt University I prefer to abide by standards — by the spirit of the rule, not the technicalities of the rule.