--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unfortunately, in many cases, the rule…" description: "\"“Unfortunately, in many cases, the rule book goes way too far - it tries to tell people how to be instead of explaining what we're trying to do.. We ne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/howard-behar-53006_books_unfortunately-in-many-cases-the-rule-boo_2519752.png" --- # Unfortunately, in many cases, the rule book goes way too… ![“Unfortunately, in many cases, the rule book goes way too far - it tries to tell people how to be instead of explaining what we're trying to do.. We need recipes, not rules.” quote by Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/howard-behar-53006_books_unfortunately-in-many-cases-the-rule-boo_2519752.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/howard-behar-53006_books_unfortunately-in-many-cases-the-rule-boo_2519752.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/howard-behar-53006_books_unfortunately-in-many-cases-the-rule-boo_2519752.png) > ““Unfortunately, in many cases, the rule book goes way too far - it tries to tell people how to be instead of explaining what we're trying to do.. We need recipes, not rules.”” [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rules often overreach, stifling creativity; practical guidance (recipes) works better than prescriptive mandates. **In simple terms:** Rules can limit; practical guides help. Key Takeaway Prefer actionable guidance over rigid rules. Themes leadership creativity guidance Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type advice leadership When to use this quote - team management - product development - process improvement - innovation Key Concepts systems thinking empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can you replace a rule with a flexible guideline? - When is a rule necessary? A Different Perspective Rules may lack flexibility for unique contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) ## Related quotes > [“Recipes are rules made to be broken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-saincic/recipes-are-rules-made-to-be-broken/) [Mario Saincic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-saincic/) > [“The first rule of book club - is that nobody wants to talk about book club.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-lewis/the-first-rule-of-book-club-is-that-nobody-wants-to-talk-about-book/) Douglas Lewis > [The strike zone should be what the rule book says it is and not a personal idiosyncrasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/the-strike-zone-should-be-what-the-rule-book-says-it-is-and-not-a/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [A travel book is about someone who goes somewhere, travels on the ground, sees something and spends quite a lot of time doing it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/a-travel-book-is-about-someone-who-goes-somewhere-travels-on-the/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [Sometimes it's easier to say you don't have feelings for someone, instead of explaining why you still do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-it-s-easier-to-say-you-don-t-have-feelings-for-someone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mom reads you like a book, and wherever she goes, people read you like a glowing book review.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/a-mom-reads-you-like-a-book-and-wherever-she-goes-people-read-you/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Sometimes you just have to put a fake smile on instead of explaining your whole problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-just-have-to-put-a-fake-smile-on-instead-of-explaining/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A bad book begins and ends with the words on the pages. A good book gives you the feeling that it began long before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-smith-quoting-her-mother/a-bad-book-begins-and-ends-with-the-words-on-the-pages-a-good-book/) R. Lee Smith quoting her mother > [I really believe that the movie will never be as good as the book, both because the book goes on longer - a movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-really-believe-that-the-movie-will-never-be-as-good-as-the-book/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [Well, it wasn't really a decision on my part although you always hope as an author that a book that goes out of print…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/well-it-wasn-t-really-a-decision-on-my-part-although-you-always-hope/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [“Instead of explaining everything by the supposed supremacy of a law of evolution, which compels collective phenomena to reproduce and repeat themselves indefinitely in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-explaining-everything-by-the-supposed-supremacy-of-a-law/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think it's more interesting to throw people into a story and let them catch up instead of explaining and feeling like you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-heslov/i-think-it-s-more-interesting-to-throw-people-into-a-story-and-let/) [Grant Heslov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-heslov/) > [“There wasn’t an official rule book that he knew of, but he was pretty sure a guy didn’t bend his best damn friend over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-stacey/there-wasn-t-an-official-rule-book-that-he-knew-of-but-he-was-pretty/) [Shannon Stacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-stacey/) > [HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally stray from the rule book? FOALY: No. I'm suggesting you do not own a copy of the rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally-stray-from-the-rule-book/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) ## More by Howard Behar > [If there was no praise or criticism in the world, then who would you be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-behar/if-there-was-no-praise-or-criticism-in-the-world-then-who-would-you-be/) [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) > [The person who sweeps the floor should choose the broom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-behar/the-person-who-sweeps-the-floor-should-choose-the-broom/) [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) > [When we know why we're here as individuals and leaders, when our people know why they're here, a sense of purpose carries us forward,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-behar/when-we-know-why-we-re-here-as-individuals-and-leaders-when-our/) [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) > [Our success is directly related to our clarity and honesty about who we are, who we're not, where we want to go, and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-behar/our-success-is-directly-related-to-our-clarity-and-honesty-about-who/) [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) > [“Do it because it's right, not because it's right for your resume.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-behar/do-it-because-it-s-right-not-because-it-s-right-for-your-resume/) [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) > [“Think like a person of action; act like a person of thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-behar/think-like-a-person-of-action-act-like-a-person-of-thought/) [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) [Explore all 7 Howard Behar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Unfortunately, in many cases, the rule book goes way too far - it tries to tell people how to be instead of explaining what we're trying to do.. 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