Or it is used by people who know the rationale behind a particular rule and are willing to use their common sense to resolve a situation quickly and in the friendliest manner. We can definitely agree to disagree but it is difficult for me to appreciate someone blindly following the rules without thinking first why that rule was formed.
This isn't about blindly following the rules.
Its about
- respecting the game and its rules and by doing so elevates the game
- understanding that the rules are there for a reason that sometimes defy common sense, especially the ones that invite gamesmanship if they weren't there
- that its at the selected person's discretion and not obligation to overlook rules, i.e. the person who isn't benefiting from enforcing the rules. Its an important principle enshrined in line calls for example, the benefit of the doubt principle. They are choosing not to enforce rules that they have every right to, that they would benefit from, and by overlooking them give the benefit to their opponent instead.
That's their choice and they can freely choose not to enforce rules against themselves, but its wrong for a person to expect, demand, or require people to overlook rules so they can benefit from them being overlooked, even if good common sense is at work expecting others to blindly go along with their ill sought gain
- that people who choose not to know, learn, understand, or effectively interpret the rules (the area of let's is for example a more complex area of interpretation) shouldn't benefit from ignorance.
I will make one compromise:
in social tennis, maybe common sense has more place than following rules or choosing to overlook some rules assisting the opponent to help everyone have a good time. Its just not worth it. Since in social tennis its not uncommon for people to be ignorant of the rules anyway, so what else do they have but common sense. Nobody knows the rules anyway.
in competitive tennis, tournaments, leagues - forget about it. I'm not going to bend over and allow opponents to introduce gamesmanship or ignorance of rules, or expect me to rule against myself to their benefit because they are "special" in some way. I reserve the right to let my opponent get away with a rule violation, but I won't obligate myself no matter how much common sense the opponent puts out there because behind all that common sense is a motive: I'm special, I want you to give me what I want. I want you to forget about the rules, rule against yourself and rule in my favor.
It's not common sense to go along with their narcissism. That's simply wrong and it hurts the game.
