We grow up learning that rules exist for a reason and had best be followed to the letter; this gets confusing when the realization dawns that there are a lot of stupid rules that exist only because a certain stupid someone decided it should be so. This is the case in many workplaces where an egotistical middle manager or woefully unqualified HR worker can make unchecked declarations and decrees that everyone else has to follow. These decision-makers will pat themself on the back for a job well…