Rules describe preexisting solutions to previously seen problems. Rules are ill-fitted to adapt to changing circumstances. The more complex life becomes, the less likely existing solutions are to apply to present problems. As complexity increases, conditions change, new details emerge, and constraints change. Any change in circumstance makes it less likely that the prior rule still describes the path to the ideal outcome. The more complex life becomes, the more the limitations of rules become obvious, and the more principles and character are needed to thrive in and overcome that complexity.