We are taught to follow the rules, which is usually wise advice, especially when the consequences of not doing so can be quite serious. There are times however when going against the rules is the best thing that you can do. The Milgram Experiment comes to mind, but in every day life there are many choices that are influenced by whether we blindly follow the rules or we apply some common sense and “human touch” to them.
An incredible example of someone thinking, “screw the rules” is Dr. Malcolm Coulthard. BBC has an article that reports on how he and a nurse, Jean Crosier, saved the day by going against the rules and acting, not just thinking, outside of the box. A baby, Millie Kelly, experienced kidney failure during surgery. Her 6lb body was too small for the conventional dialysis machine so doctors informed the mother that the child was unlikely to survive.
This amazing doctor decided to create a scaled down version of the dialysis machine in his garage. According to the mother of the baby, the result was less than standard looking, “It was a green metal box with a few paint marks on it with quite a few wires coming out of it into my daughter”. This home-made machine saved Millie’s life and she is now a happy, healthy 2 year old. The machine is still in use at that hospital, saving the lives of many babies who are too tiny for conventional machines.
Doctor Coulthard is now asking that a proper, official version be created and distributed in order to save many lives that are needlessly lost. I found this story to be touching and I wanted to share it with you, to remind us of how we can all be heroes by simply going beyond the rules when something more important is at stake.
Are you ready to ignore the rules?
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Tags: heroes, inventions, motivation, proactiveness
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August 6, 2008 at 6:18 am
Lawrence Oluyede
I think that this blog post has the wrong title. It’s more about thinking outside the box while using own experience and knowledge than screwing rules and regulations.
At least that is what the story you use an example tells.
August 6, 2008 at 11:29 am
Marcos Toledo
Hmm.. I had sort of the same idea as Lawrence.
Later in the post, you say something like “go beyond the rules”, which I think represents the point better than “go against the rules”
Going against the rules in that case would be, in my point of view, using the big machine in the little baby nonetheless. Going beyond the rules means finding ways to overcome the limitations created by the rule, not ignoring the limitations (as “break the rules” sound)
2 cents, great blog, I read every post.
Take care
August 7, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Jonathan Mead
Hey, great blog. I really enjoy the work you do here, not to mention the books you are currently reading I have read myself. =) Feel free to get in touch with me if you need any help with social media.
Cheers, & happy blogging.