Should Rules Be Ignored?

I actually am not at all sure what to write about today. Not a whole lot has been going on since I blogged last Wednesday. I've spent a lot of time with my family and preparing things for work and Mistress has been busy with her family as well. I know it will be like this a lot in the coming weeks and possibly months because of the holidays and such. But the time that I have had with my Mistress has been great. It's been relaxing and just us talking about various things. I think we need those times just as much as any other, more intense times that we have together. We're balanced and I'm so glad for that.

So, I've thought about something recently and thought maybe I should write about here. It has nothing to do with my relationship with Mistress and Sir, but something I've observed in some other lifestyle relationships and I'm just curious about it.

I've watched many dominants and submissives entering into new relationships together and they agree on the outset about rules and such that the submissive will have through the relationship. Then as they progress through their time together, the submissive will break one of the rules and even though the dominant most likely realizes this, they do nothing about it. No punishment, no outward acknowledgment of it.

I just wonder at the wisdom, or lack thereof, in this. How does it affect the relationship?

It could be that the dominant is waiting to see if the submissive will come to them and say that they broke a rule, or that the submissive is waiting and hoping that the dominant didn't notice and therefor won't punish him/her. It could be any number of things, right?

I, personally, would not wish to be in a relationship like that. Just not my cup of tea. I need to know that no matter what the rules are the rules and aren't to be broken, and if they are then there will be consequences for it. I need those clear boundaries.

Anyone out there have any comments about any of this? I'm curious to hear what others might think.