Wikipedia:Ignore all rules

The following is policy on the English Wikipedia, and according to Jimbo Wales, it "always has been". Ignore all rules was Wikipedia's first rule to consider.

Two brothers were novices at a monastery. The Zen master summoned the brothers to his chamber and said to the elder brother "Go cross the bridge over the deep valley to the west and present yourself to the master of the monastery there, as a sign of respect. Remember to ignore the rules if they prevent you from completing your task."

So the elder brother went to the edge of the valley and found that the bridge had collapsed. He returned to the monastery, saying "Master, the bridge is gone and the valley is far too wide to circumvent. I cannot complete my task."

The Master summoned the younger brother and told him "Go finish the task that I gave to your elder brother. Remember to ignore the rules if they prevent you from completing your task."

The younger brother set out on his task. He returned to the monastery the next day, and told the Zen master "The master of the monastery across the valley sends his greetings."

Stunned, the elder brother said, "This is impossible! How was he able to cross the valley?"

The Zen master said, "It does not matter."

And the elder brother was enlightened.

If the rules prevent you from improving the encyclopedia, ignore them.

See also

• Wikipedia:What "Ignore all rules" means, an explanation of this policy