Rules are rules, are the good ones meant to be broken too?

[Nolff]

Do any of you remember the thread posted a week ago about the point of a chat forum? This one is similar to that.

Is it correct to speak other languages in an English-only group chat?


So about five days ago, I joined an international WhatsApp group chat called "Virtual Friends" to make more friends and have good talks.
Then, in the next four days, I kept feeling bothered while I was online in the GC (group chat). I see more conversations done in my native language than in the English language.

Something felt off, I said to myself.

So, I went to the group's profile and checked the members' list, looking at everyone's regional phone number.

My suspicion was right. I conclude that "This group isn't an international chat group.".

And I stated to myself that this isn't fair.

I mean, look, my countrymen are talking to each other in that group using our mother language on a daily basis. What about the Indians? The Nigerians? I made a friend there, I don't know which country she lives in but she's not Asian. She'd go online once in a while every single day of that 5 days.
And you know what she saw every time she went online? The Indonesians. They talk on their own.

I may be the one who's overreacting, but why can they do that while the others can't?

I checked the group's rules, the first one said "English only". So, what is the purpose of this rule then if most of the members aren't speaking in English anyway?

I was pissed.

So, every time someone speaks in a non-English language for a prolonged period of time, I tell them to stop using that language.

In return, they grew annoyed and fed up with me.

One of them stated that I was flexing my English because of how stupidly long my messages was (over 45 characters are considered to be long).
Great.
I'm utterly pissed.

I followed the group's rules and talked exclusively in English every time I went online on that group, I never wanted to flex.
Then, the same guy said that speaking English among people who are bad at English isn't cool, it's stupid. I underestimated their English skill, they say.
So, I said "Then, show me.". And he called me a little sh*t. I begged for a better response, and he snapped and scolded me in our national language.

I calmed myself down and thought, "Hey, they're still my people. I gotta cool down."

So, I did that. And then, another guy said that my English is basic. The audacity of this guy, wow. I'm not learning a language for 12 years since I was five just o be called basic by an amateur. So, I bite back.

And at the end of the day, I lost. Not my pride, though. I lost the drama because I got kicked by one of the admins. Said admin was a Filipino girl and one of the two guys was dating her. So, yeah. The end.

Now, I'm genuinely concerned for them all. They broke the rules, just like how my House of Representatives broke the rules of morality. My country's HR is decreasing every year, and this is a result of my government's work.


That's done. So: Are rules eternally meant to be broken?

 

[Hoshino]

No one really follows these rules because there’s no one to witness their violations, so it doesn’t prick their conscience.

 

[Tempokai]

If only intentionally. Unintentional rule breaking in communication is cringe. There's a reason why linguists like Paul Grice or Wittgenstein had researched about communication and language. If you break the rules knowingly, it turns into a style. If you break it unknowingly like those people you're interacting with, it turns into a massive language game of cringe that participants don't know about.

 

[LilRora]

Rules are meant to be challenged, not broken. If a rule is stupid, of course it will be broken at some point, no different from a good rule. Challenging a rule we have doubts about, however, instead of mindlessly breaking or following rules, is an opportunity to rethink the cause and effect and potentially amend rules that do not bring benefits or are not reasonable.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

This is a lesson about multiculturalism or something.

Anyway, I agree with you, that was a crap chat.

 

[owotrucked]

Gotta think through the lens of tribalism and not take how groups present themselves at face value.

They broke the rules, just like how my House of Representatives broke the rules of morality.

In my country, there's like 4 big dynasties that own 80% of national wealth and media, they avoid taxes, and they backed the last presidents for the last 70 years. With their financial power and connections, they can bend the laws in their favor and never take accountability despite many scandals. This happens while the country worsens for the rest of the 80% population who are their peasants.

On the outside, my country present themselves as the land of equality and rebellious righteousness, what a bunch of clown lmao

Ignoring the aspect of tribalism is like leaving out your ability to use a limb. It will cripple your life. You have to understand in what group you are, who are in power, what are their values, and cling on their thighs, unless you want to court death.

 

[Nolff]

No one really follows these rules because there’s no one to witness their violations, so it doesn’t prick their conscience.

Makes sense.

If only intentionally. Unintentional rule breaking in communication is cringe. There's a reason why linguists like Paul Grice or Wittgenstein had researched about communication and language. If you break the rules knowingly, it turns into a style. If you break it unknowingly like those people you're interacting with, it turns into a massive language game of cringe that participants don't know about.

Now I'd like to see someone break a rule in style.

Challenging a rule we have doubts about, however, instead of mindlessly breaking or following rules, is an opportunity to rethink the cause and effect and potentially amend rules that do not bring benefits or are not reasonable.

I thought about this too, albeit with little alteration.

This is a lesson about multiculturalism or something.

Anyway, I agree with you, that was a crap chat.

When they said I was flexing, it caught me off guard. I was genuinely confused.

Gotta think through the lens of tribalism and not take how groups present themselves at face value.


In my country, there's like 4 big dynasties that own 80% of national wealth and media, they avoid taxes, and they backed the last presidents for the last 70 years. With their financial power and connections, they can bend the laws in their favor and never take accountability despite many scandals. This happens while the country worsens for the rest of the 80% population who are their peasants.

On the outside, my country present themselves as the land of equality and rebellious righteousness, what a bunch of clown lmao

Ignoring the aspect of tribalism is like leaving out your ability to use a limb. It will cripple your life. You have to understand in what group you are, who are in power, what are their values, and cling on their thighs, unless you want to court death.

Dig a hole, bury the hole. What a familiar scene.