The 15 most important unwritten rules of life

published 12 February 2016

They're the things which separate the civilised from the animals. Those elements of behaviour that are so fundamental to our functioning as a coherent society that no one has ever felt the need to codify them.

And yet, still some people break them.

Well, it's time to fight back, and this excellent thread on Reddit has sought to finally nail down the most important of those crucial unwritten rules that make the world a better place.

Below are the top 15 rules: if everyone could use these as your gospel (alongside at least a few of the Ten Commandments), then we'd all be very happy.

Any they've missed? Let us know in the comments.

(Images: Rex/Shutterstock/AllStar)

As Content Director of Shortlist, Marc likes nothing more than to compile endless lists of an evening by candlelight. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.