I know a guy who’s writing a book. He’s pouring loads of money into it and written a ton.
Most self-published books don’t do very well. Especially if you don’t have a huge audience. But this guy thinks he’s the exception to the rule.
He’s writing articles for tiny magazines. He’s pimping himself out to speak places. He’s breaching all sorts of proper protocols in order to make this thing a success. Again, this guy thinks he’s the exception to the rule of protocol.
Let me include you in on a little secret. Very few people are the exception to the rule. Almost all of us are bound by rules that dictate where we can and can’t be successful.
But let me let you in on a deeper secret. Some people are the exception. For instance, my brother is one of those. He’s the sort who can email someone out of the blue and get a real response—with that person willing to help. He can meet someone one time and they feel like they’re his best friend. My brother is the exception to those rules up there. My friend is not.
I do believe that there are some rules we’re the exception to. Unfortunately, those rules are different for each of us. The key is to discover what rules don’t apply to you. Those are where your opportunities live.
What can you get away with that no one else can? Do you make friends in a second? Can you spot a lie from a thousand miles away? Does your storytelling captivate an audience?
Most people can’t do that stuff. But if you can, it means you’re the exception to the rule. And it means that’s the opportunity you need to seize. It means you have a chance to succeed where others have failed.
What rule are you the exception to?
It is also used in jocular nonsense. “I am always punctual.” “Were you on time for breakfast this morning?” “Well no, but the exception proves the rule.” In this case, the first speaker is aware that the phrase does not correctly apply to their initial statement, but is appealing to it ironically. However this is most likely because the person does not understand the meaning of the phrase itself, as opposed to some sort of attempt at irony.