--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rule 1: All rules can be broken. Many…" description: "\"Rule 1: All rules can be broken. Many (ex-legal and ethical) should be. Most people won't.\" — Marc Andreessen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74e/marc-andreessen-2948_broken_rule-1-all-rules-can-be-broken-many-ex-l_3166680.png" --- # Rule 1: All rules can be broken. Many (ex-legal and… ![“Rule 1: All rules can be broken. Many (ex-legal and ethical) should be. Most people won't.” quote by Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74e/marc-andreessen-2948_broken_rule-1-all-rules-can-be-broken-many-ex-l_3166680.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74e/marc-andreessen-2948_broken_rule-1-all-rules-can-be-broken-many-ex-l_3166680.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74e/marc-andreessen-2948_broken_rule-1-all-rules-can-be-broken-many-ex-l_3166680.png) > “Rule 1: All rules can be broken. Many (ex-legal and ethical) should be. Most people won't.” [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that rules are often flexible, especially those that are outdated or restrictive. **In simple terms:** Some rules can be broken for progress. Key Takeaway Question and adapt unnecessary constraints. Themes innovation ethics leadership strategy Mood thoughtful provocative Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - startup culture - product development - organizational change - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts rule flexibility ethical boundaries disruption Questions to Reflect On - When should a rule be upheld despite potential benefits? - How to balance innovation with ethical responsibility? A Different Perspective Breaking rules can lead to unintended negative consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) ## Related quotes > [“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-ethical-so-do-your-best-whether/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-ethical-so-do-your-best-whether-2/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I don't think ethical people deal with intimidation as a method to achieve success. Undermining someone's self-esteem isn't a method to achieve success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-moceanu/i-don-t-think-ethical-people-deal-with-intimidation-as-a-method-to/) [Dominique Moceanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-moceanu/) > [Look, in any system, you want highly ethical people who really understand issues to form policies and make tough decisions. You need all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/look-in-any-system-you-want-highly-ethical-people-who-really/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [Although the legal and ethical definitions of right are the antithesis of each other, most writers use them as synonyms. They confuse power with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-t-sprading/although-the-legal-and-ethical-definitions-of-right-are-the/) Charles T Sprading > [“There's ilegal with ethical and there is legal with un-ethical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vhalsky/there-s-ilegal-with-ethical-and-there-is-legal-with-un-ethical/) vhalsky > [I will continue to work with state and federal partners to protect our state's values, and to uphold legal, ethical and moral standards -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-scott/i-will-continue-to-work-with-state-and-federal-partners-to-protect/) [Phil Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-scott/) > [I have never been one to write by rule, not even by my own rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/i-have-never-been-one-to-write-by-rule-not-even-by-my-own-rules/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) > [Isn't the greatest rule of all the rules simply to please?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/isn-t-the-greatest-rule-of-all-the-rules-simply-to-please/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“the first rule—he calls it the rule of rules—is the art of challenging what is appealing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-first-rule-he-calls-it-the-rule-of-rules-is-the-art-of/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The only rule is that there are no rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/del-close/the-only-rule-is-that-there-are-no-rules/) [Del Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/del-close/) > [The only rule is there are no rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle-onassis/the-only-rule-is-there-are-no-rules/) [Aristotle Onassis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle-onassis/) > [Never say never. I myself say no to things, and then I wear them. So, I'm now kind of sticking to the rule that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/never-say-never-i-myself-say-no-to-things-and-then-i-wear-them-so-i-m/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [The only rule is there's only one rule: no rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-snyder/the-only-rule-is-there-s-only-one-rule-no-rules/) [Dana Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-snyder/) > [“Of course, these women ought to have listened when he told them he wasn't looking for anything serious. But on a certain level, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelle-waldman/of-course-these-women-ought-to-have-listened-when-he-told-them-he/) [Adelle Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adelle-waldman/) ## More by Marc Andreessen > [I'm really excited about anything that is able to address the really big markets, so anything that's universally appealing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/i-m-really-excited-about-anything-that-is-able-to-address-the-really/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [One of the big first computers was called SAGE, which was a missile defense, the first missile-defense computer, which was, like, one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/one-of-the-big-first-computers-was-called-sage-which-was-a-missile/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [It was a joke, okay? If we thought it would actually be used, we wouldn't have written it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/it-was-a-joke-okay-if-we-thought-it-would-actually-be-used-we-wouldn/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [Today's leading real-world retailer, Wal-Mart, uses software to power its logistics and distribution capabilities, which it has used to crush its competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/today-s-leading-real-world-retailer-wal-mart-uses-software-to-power/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [Smart tech investor thinks about: a) future product roadmap, b) bottoms-up market size & growth, c) talent and skill of team. 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I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/) [Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/) Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Rule 1: All rules can be broken. 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