During my visit, I took some snapshots of some exhibits that impressed me. Later I stopped taking pictures when I was told by a docent that there was no photography allowed. As I view visiting a museum to visiting someone's home, I had no problem with following the "house rules."
Later I realized that no where in the museum did I see any signs or receive any instructions regarding photography. In my travels, I've become well accustomed to looking for a sign of a camera with the international "no" symbol. This got me to thinking that often we don't tell someone not to do something until after they've done it.
Let's take things a bit further because sometimes we tell people not to do something without telling them why they shouldn't. You see a sign that says, "Stay off the grass." While this may accomplish its purpose, it creates a bit of an adversarial situation. Suddenly, stepping on the grass is an act of defiance against rules or "the Man." However our attitudes and understanding of a sign will increase if we understand why we are asked to follow the directions. Instead of "Stay off the grass," perhaps we should say, "Stay off the grass so we all can enjoy this beautiful lawn." This way everyone has a share of ownership in the benefit of following the rules.
Rules + understanding = success.
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