I talk a bit here and there about obedience just for obedience being a bad idea. However… I don’t mean to suggest that when I’m in someone’s private home or professional space that I do what I want regardless of that person’s wishes. It’s His Space, therefore it’s His* Rules.
That one took me a long time to grasp. But when I put it that way (my house – my rules) it makes sense. Whether the rules / wishes of the Host makes sense or not isn’t my business. It’s that person’s personal space (whether private or professional matters not, as I said).
(When I play Host myself, however, the rules of the house become “how can I serve the Guest?” Silly Me.)
I can also extend this to public spaces, such as grocery stores, department stores and such. They are managed by an individual (usually according to Corporate Rules, but still a person) and what goes on there is also his responsibility. There are limits, though, to what I’ll tolerate in that sort of environment, and sometimes I don’t return to a particular store, usually for Rude Behavior (Such as “leave your backpack behind the service counter.” “Oh! You mean you don’t trust me, but I’m supposed to trust you with my backpack? Get real!”)
I am, however, not so sure that this rule (My House – My Rules) should apply to cultures. Just because everybody in this county, state, country wears green sneakers and considers it rude to where blue ones, doesn’t mean that should apply to me when I’m visiting there. Or does it? Yes, that’s your culture, but it’s not mine. I live by my culture, and I give you the respect to live by your own. But if I’m a visitor in Country C does that mean I need to adhere to their “silly customs” instead of insisting on my own “silly customs?” Truthfully, I don’t know. I know what the normal and expected is, and I know that some countries will even put you in jail for not following arbitrary-seeming customs. (Arbitrary to me – though clearly not to them.)
Surely putting the Force of Law behind a Social Custom is cheating, though, don’t you think?
[*Please ignore the use of “His” where another might say “Hers” or “Theirs” or “His/Hers” etc… I am old fashioned; I use the Proper Rules of Grammar. Ironic, isn’t it?
Further, I think that when gender doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, and it almost never matters — except when your Boss is cutting that paycheck, of course. Silly Boss. By the way — that practice of alternate pay scales because of Gender is extremely illegal and subject to enormous fines. It’s a criminal practice in more ways than one. Don’t let Them get away with it! Pay is by merit, quality of work, not by genetics. It’s a privilege to your Boss for you to work for him; not the other way around.]