--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're going to break the rules, you…" description: "\"If you're going to break the rules, you might as well break them correctly.\" — Dan Gutman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/dan-gutman-16384_break_if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-m_678885.png" --- # If you're going to break the rules, you might as well… ![“If you're going to break the rules, you might as well break them correctly.” quote by Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/dan-gutman-16384_break_if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-m_678885.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/dan-gutman-16384_break_if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-m_678885.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/dan-gutman-16384_break_if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-m_678885.png) > “If you're going to break the rules, you might as well break them correctly.” [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Breaking rules requires skill and purpose, not reckless disregard. **In simple terms:** Break rules wisely. Key Takeaway Break rules with intention. Themes rebellion strategy ethics Mood defiant thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - sports competition - creative projects - social movements - personal boundaries Key Concepts intentional disruption principled defiance Questions to Reflect On - When is breaking a rule justified? - How can you ensure responsible rule-breaking? A Different Perspective Breaking rules can cause unintended harm if not carefully considered. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Correctly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-correctly-5374943/) [Break Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-rules/) [Break The Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-the-rules/) [Correctly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/correctly/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Rules Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-break/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [By all means break the rules, and break them beautifully, deliberately and well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bringhurst/by-all-means-break-the-rules-and-break-them-beautifully-deliberately/) [Robert Bringhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bringhurst/) > [Gotta know the rules to break the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-barlog/gotta-know-the-rules-to-break-the-rules/) [Cory Barlog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-barlog/) > [And I'm the first one to tell people to break the rules. But you can only break the rules once you know what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/and-i-m-the-first-one-to-tell-people-to-break-the-rules-but-you-can/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [Sometimes you follow the rules, sometimes you break the rules, and sometimes, if you're lucky…you MAKE the rules!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-follow-the-rules-sometimes-you-break-the-rules-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Learn the rules, break the rules, make up new rules, break the new rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-bell/learn-the-rules-break-the-rules-make-up-new-rules-break-the-new-rules/) [Marvin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-bell/) > [“My mother, Nicolette, is the Katagaria Grand Regis Ursulan- so don’t start no shit, won’t be no shit. Quick rule rundown. No fighting, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/my-mother-nicolette-is-the-katagaria-grand-regis-ursulan-so-don-t/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I feel like I have always played within the rules. I would never break the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/i-feel-like-i-have-always-played-within-the-rules-i-would-never-break/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) > [There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/there-are-certain-things-that-we-can-deal-with-by-following-the-rules/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [By all means break the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bringhurst/by-all-means-break-the-rules/) [Robert Bringhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bringhurst/) > [“Bend the rules only if you have learned them; break the rules only if you have mastered them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/bend-the-rules-only-if-you-have-learned-them-break-the-rules-only-if/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“...what about this rule about not meddling?’ said Magrat. ‘Ah,’ said Nanny. She took the girl’s arm. ‘The thing is,’ she explained, ‘as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/what-about-this-rule-about-not-meddling-said-magrat-ah-said-nanny-she/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [My music translates again and again to younger generations of players because I broke all the rules, and they can break all the rules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan/my-music-translates-again-and-again-to-younger-generations-of-players/) [Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan/) > [When you break rules, break 'em good and hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-you-break-rules-break-em-good-and-hard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Everybody knows the rules, even though some break those rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/everybody-knows-the-rules-even-though-some-break-those-rules/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [I feel like I've always played within the rules. I would never do anything to break the rules. I believe in fair play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/i-feel-like-i-ve-always-played-within-the-rules-i-would-never-do/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) ## More by Dan Gutman > [“immature, Arlo!” said Andrea. “I bet their daughter’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/immature-arlo-said-andrea-i-bet-their-daughter-s/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [They say there is no 'free lunch' in life. But there are free books! I still can't believe I can go to my local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/they-say-there-is-no-free-lunch-in-life-but-there-are-free-books-i/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [Do stupid stuff and even stupider suff will happen to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/do-stupid-stuff-and-even-stupider-suff-will-happen-to-you/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“footnote: "With all due respect" is grown-up talk for "I think you're stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/footnote-with-all-due-respect-is-grown-up-talk-for-i-think-you-re/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“Hey soda girl. You're flat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/hey-soda-girl-you-re-flat/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“Left! Right! Left! Right!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/left-right-left-right/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [Sometimes we spend so much time and energy thinking about where we want to go that we don't notice where we happen to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/sometimes-we-spend-so-much-time-and-energy-thinking-about-where-we/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [A lot of people seem nice when you first meet them. Then later you find out that they are evil villains who plan to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/a-lot-of-people-seem-nice-when-you-first-meet-them-then-later-you/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“In 1846, George Donner and his brother Jacob, Illinois farmers, set out for the promise of California in covered wagons with several families, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/in-1846-george-donner-and-his-brother-jacob-illinois-farmers-set-out/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“I’m sorry!” I moaned. “Oh man, I messed up big time! How could I have been so stupid?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/i-m-sorry-i-moaned-oh-man-i-messed-up-big-time-how-could-i-have-been/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“If a teacher said they needed a kid to jump off the roof, Andrea would”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/if-a-teacher-said-they-needed-a-kid-to-jump-off-the-roof-andrea-would/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“From now on we will focus on the four Rs: reading, writing, arithmetic, and rules.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/from-now-on-we-will-focus-on-the-four-rs-reading-writing-arithmetic/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [The way your life plays out depends on which dominoes you chose to push over and which ones you leave alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/the-way-your-life-plays-out-depends-on-which-dominoes-you-chose-to/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“She looked like she might run out of the room crying like she usually does for no reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/she-looked-like-she-might-run-out-of-the-room-crying-like-she-usually/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) > [“I gave my clothes away. How could I think about clothes when the poor people of Florida don’t even have a place to live?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/i-gave-my-clothes-away-how-could-i-think-about-clothes-when-the-poor/) [Dan Gutman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) [Explore all 27 Dan Gutman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) [Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) [Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're going to break the rules, you might as well break them correctly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Gutman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-might-as-well-break-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-might-as-well-break-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/dan-gutman-16384_break_if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-m_678885.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/dan-gutman-16384_break_if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-m_678885.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/dan-gutman-16384_break_if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-m_678885.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you're going to break the rules, you might as well break them correctly.” — Dan Gutman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dan Gutman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gutman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you're going to break the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-might-as-well-break-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gutman/if-you-re-going-to-break-the-rules-you-might-as-well-break-them/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```