[treflop]

I don't think this is limited to security.

I have friends who are very scary drivers but insist on backseat driving and telling you about best driving practices, and coworkers who are insistent on implementing excessive procedures at work but constantly are the ones breaking things.

I think following rules gives some people a sense of peace in a chaotic and unpredictable world. And I can't stand them.

[CSSer]

Do you mean the rules or the people? I don’t mean to sound facetious.

[treflop]

A little of both. I understand getting a warm fuzzy feeling that you did the right things, but if you don't achieve your goal, what's the point?

But let me clarify -- OP mentioned a contrast between consequentialism and virtual ethics and I think you can be "too much" consequentialism too. I'm wouldn't call myself a rule follower but I also follow rules 99% of the time too. It does create a sense of order and and predictability and I value that.

There is a right balance where you do follow rules but you also know when to break them. What I can't really stand are rigid people -- diehard rule followers or diehard "no one can tell me what to do." I find working with rigid people hard because you have to work around their "buttons."

[awesome_dude]

Often the reason that they know all of these rules is because they are constantly being bitten/yelled it for breaking them

Speaking as someone who is constantly trying to keep good procedures in the team because of all the footguns I have collected over time