All of us have been part of arcane rituals. We were introduced to them when we first set foot in the office. We passed them on to the new hires. We feel something’s off, but we don’t question it.

We act out these rituals because we feel we have to. If we wouldn’t do them, something wicked will happen. We can’t say what it is, but we feel a sense of impending doom. We do this all to appease the Elder Gods, lest their wrath comes upon us.

These rules and ceremonies were handed down to us by our Ancestors. Those-That-Came-Before-Us warned us not to stray from the path. And so we pass it on to the new acolytes.

Here are a few of those rules we hardly question:

• We have flexible hours now, but it wouldn’t be acceptable to start your day in the afternoon.
• We manage our own time, but saying No to all-hands meeting invites is not done.
• Struggling with a problem for 2 days is acceptable. Sleeping in and calling it a day after fixing that same problem in 2 hours is not.
• Hiring a freelancer through Upwork to fix your problem is not acceptable for most developers. They have to do it themselves.

If we break these taboos, the Elders will smite us.

Let’s stick to the traditions we’ve always known.

Or not.