Where there are rules, there are people like Waldo, more intent on abiding by the rules than accomplishing the mission, even when the rules are oversimplified guidelines w/o the force of law.  It’s hard to formulate a rule of thumb in a way that is simple to learn and remember but adequate for the real world.  One example is the Rule of Thirds in photography.  Let’s try for a less exception-riddled formulation.