“The Way of Mastery is to break all the rules—but you have to know them perfectly before you can do this; otherwise you are not in a position to transcend them.”
“Rules are a great way to get ideas. All you have to do is break them.”
“Learn the rules before you break them.”
“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
“Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.”
“You have to accept all sides of yourself – there’s no point fighting them – just learn how to handle them, and return to the positive, balanced being you know you can be, once the winds have blown through.”