As with many things in life there are more than one side to every story. The same is true when it comes to compliance. There is the act of conforming and the thing we are conforming to.
When we set high standards that create a better version of ourselves, our products, or the world around us, compliance is usually not a problem. We may not have the capabilities to achieve the standard so we improve our performance, adhere to the rules, and stay between the lines because we know that by doing so we will achieve the desired results.
However, when standards are low or malicious, compliance becomes a problem, and rightly so. Conformance with practices, rules and behaviours that create unfavourable results that makes things worse should be challenged and when necessary avoided.
As Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings said, "Even the very wise cannot see all ends."
So we need to be mindful that we cannot know the true end to everything we do. However, blind conformance is never a good idea and has led to unintended consequences and in some cases atrocities that should never have happened.
Compliance can be a problem, but it's not usually the act of conformance which bothers most people. It is what we are complying to which is what causes the most heart burn.
What do you think?
