Are you a rule follower?

[glw]

I'm running an annual scholarship competition right now. The instructions are: "You can do either: A, B, or C," and I've received so many, "Well, can I do 1/3 of A, and then some of B, and then 1/2 of C instead?"  What? No. These are the instructions. Follow them. To be clear, it's not that the students asking can't do one of the options for any reason.

It would just never occur to me to ask a question like that. I am a natural rule follower. I mean, if I think something is ridiculous or discriminatory, I'm going to speak up and perhaps ask for the rule to be changed, but I would never ask for special treatment just because I felt like it. 

[sapphire bou]

You should just say SURE! So those students who can't follow directions are immediately disqualified. Makes the judges' job easier in the end.

Edit to answer your actual question: I am naturally a rule follower. But if I don't understand the rule, I will ask why. If I still don't understand it, I will propose an improved rule and push for it to be implemented.

[alabasterangel]

I am a rule follower to a fault. I don't even speed.

[MyName]

I'm not necessarily a rule follower because I just DGAF about a lot of stuff, but I am certainly an instructions follower in that I would have envisioned you rolling your eyes at my special snowflake question, been embarrassed in my own head, and moved on to doing it THE WAY IT SAYS TO FUCKING DO IT.

[glw]

I feel validated. Thank you all.

lol

[jennynumbers]

Yes, but at the same time, I am a rule bender. The example above, like Myname said, is more "Instructions" to me than it is a rule. so I would do as instructed. But, I do push rules because sometimes they just don't apply to me. ::hair flip::

[MyName]

Jan 29, 2015 15:12:36 GMT -5 jennynumbers said:

Yes, but at the same time, I am a rule bender. The example above, like Myname said, is more "Instructions" to me than it is a rule. so I would do as instructed. But, I do push rules because sometimes they just don't apply to me. ::hair flip::

We are above the law!! lol

[lexxasaurus]

Jan 29, 2015 15:12:36 GMT -5 jennynumbers said:

Yes, but at the same time, I am a rule bender. The example above, like Myname said, is more "Instructions" to me than it is a rule. so I would do as instructed. But, I do push rules because sometimes they just don't apply to me. ::hair flip::

This is basically what I was going to say. Rules? Welllllll, I like to push and see how much give I can get. Instructions? I follow them closely. Especially for something like you described, I wouldn't dream of being all "but can you make an exception for meeee?". No.

[lizardesque]

It depends on the situation, but in the case you described, I would just follow the instructions, fearing disqualification if I didn't. I don't think it would even occur to me to ask for an exception.