ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bending the rules

Okay kiddo, sometimes people make rules to keep things fair and safe, but sometimes there are situations where the rule doesn't fit perfectly.

When someone "bends the rules," it means they're changing the rule a little bit so that it fits better with what's happening. It's like when you're playing a game with your friends and you made a rule that says no running, but then someone accidentally drops the ball and it rolls far away.

You might decide to "bend the rule" and let everyone run to get the ball because it's hard to play without the ball. It's not really breaking the rule because it's just a little change that helps everything work better.

Sometimes bending the rules can be okay, but it's important to remember that rules are there for a reason, and if you bend them too much, they might not work right anymore. So it's important to be careful and not bend the rules too much or too often!