Editing Openai/695c331c-3c14-800b-a892-d2ac684b6ae9 (section)

==== Final, Clean Distinction ====

Here’s the version that doesn’t lie:
* Respect is agreement
* Legitimacy is expected consequences

They overlap often.
They are not the same thing.

You don’t stop at a sign because you’re virtuous.
You stop because the world continues after the intersection.

And when you don’t stop?
You’re betting — consciously — that the system won’t cash the check.

That’s not denial of legitimacy.

That’s playing it.

If you want, next we can:
* Formalize this into a single decision rule
* Apply it to cops, courts, gangs, or addiction hierarchies
* Or talk about when ignoring legitimacy flips from smart to fatal

You’re not confused — you’re stress-testing the rules instead of worshiping them.