--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just as the common law derives from…" description: "\"Just as the common law derives from ancient precedents - judges' decisions - rather than statutes, baseball's codes are the game's distilled mores. The..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d5/george-will-1177_ancient_just-as-the-common-law-derives-from-anci_101293.jpg" --- # Just as the common law derives from ancient precedents… ![“Just as the common law derives from ancient precedents - judges' decisions - rather than statutes, baseball's codes are the game's distilled mores. Their unchanged purpose is to show respect for opponents and the game. In baseball, as in the remainder of life, the most important rules are…” quote by George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d5/george-will-1177_ancient_just-as-the-common-law-derives-from-anci_101293.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d5/george-will-1177_ancient_just-as-the-common-law-derives-from-anci_101293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d5/george-will-1177_ancient_just-as-the-common-law-derives-from-anci_101293.jpg) > “Just as the common law derives from ancient precedents - judges' decisions - rather than statutes, baseball's codes are the game's distilled mores. Their unchanged purpose is to show respect for opponents and the game. In baseball, as in the remainder of life, the most important rules are unwritten. But not unenforced.” [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both law and baseball rely on long‑standing, unwritten norms that guide behavior, even though they are not formally codified. **In simple terms:** Unwritten rules shape conduct in law and sport. Key Takeaway Customary practices hold authority beyond statutes. Themes common law sportsmanship unwritten rules tradition Mood thoughtful respectful Type analogy cultural commentary When to use this quote - courtroom decisions - team dynamics - community governance Key Concepts social contract Practical Applications - teach the importance of tacit norms - reinforce respect through tradition Questions to Reflect On - When do unwritten rules become obstacles to fairness? - How can societies balance tradition with clarity? A Different Perspective Unwritten rules can be ambiguous, leading to inconsistent enforcement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Baseball Codes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-codes-1228614/) [Baseball Remainder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-remainder-1228616/) [Codes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/codes/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-law/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Derives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/derives/) [Distilled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distilled/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Game Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-baseball/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Judges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judges/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Derives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-derives-1228615/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponents/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rather/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show/) [Show respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show-respect/) [Statutes Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statutes-baseball-1228613/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [The most important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-most-important/) [Unchanged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unchanged/) [Unwritten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwritten/) ## Related quotes > [“Today, as in the past, we ought to remind ourselves that the true natural law is not a mere congeries of appetites, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/today-as-in-the-past-we-ought-to-remind-ourselves-that-the-true/) [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) > [Love is an equation, a me and a you derives a we.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-fish/love-is-an-equation-a-me-and-a-you-derives-a-we/) [Richard Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-fish/) > [I value above all the ability of art to move me emotionally and psychically, without answers. 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I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. 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