Wikipedia:Because I can
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article or a Wikipedia policy, as it has not been reviewed by the community. |
 | This page in a nutshell: That a rule allows you to do something isn't an argument that you ought to do it. |
An almost sure sign of a problem editor is someone who has "because I can" syndrome. You see this play out like this: Editor A notices something they think is a problem. They say "Hey, Editor B, please don't do this." Then editor B quotes some rule and insists that they're allowed to do it. Editor A explains why said behavior is harmful. Editor B merely blows off the objection, and insists they'll continue doing it because they can.
Editor B has a temperament that is fundamentally incompatible with a collaborative project like Wikipedia. Since Wikipedia isn't going to change to match that misguided temperament, the editors suffering from "because I can" need to either change their ways, or refrain from participating here.
If this is you
[edit]If you see that you are suffering from "because I can", there is an easy solution. Simply recognize that while "because I can" is a perfectly good reason to do something on your own website, Wikipedia does not belong to you. Here, the general operating principle is that you should do only what is helpful, rather than anything you can.