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Yes they are and one can opt out of it, but it does change the rules of the game, and if you ain’t playing it, you might miss some things. Choises choises.

There is another choice between to just "obey" what you perceive to be the rules and "opting out" completely. It's like with dancing: Learn the rules. Then bend the rules, finally break the rules. If lead with strong will and soft touch, wonderful things follow.