Think about the people who have shaped your life, and your mind probably begins assembling a familiar collection of faces. Parents, teachers, friends, partners, colleagues, perhaps a doctor who helped you through a difficult moment or a stranger whose kindness stayed with you. We naturally imagine influence as something personal. Someone enters our life, does …
Rules are everywhere. They tell us which side of the road to drive on, how many players may stand on a football field, when we should wait our turn, what clothes are appropriate for certain occasions, and even which fork we are expected to use at a formal dinner. Some rules are written into law …
There are few things more ordinary than a line of people waiting. We form them at railway stations, airports, hospitals, supermarkets, school gates, government offices, amusement parks, and food counters. Sometimes there is a painted barrier telling us where to stand, but often there is nothing at all. One person simply positions themselves behind another, …