Some things are not written yet are expected to be performed by a human being. These things are called ethics. For example, we are expected to make requests politely. There’s no written law that will forbid us from requesting things rudely from others.

Behind this ethics, there are usually reasons that make some of us follow them. For example, by making a request politely, we inspire friendliness and goodwill to whom we make that request. These reasons are what make ethics important even if it is unwritten.

From another perspective, written laws and rules also have reasons for existing. Some of them may be valid, some of them may not. Some reasons that we think are valid might be invalid, some reasons that we think are invalid might be valid.

The way of ethical rule-breaking is to look as hard as possible to the reasons behind the rules (which I call the principles of the rules) and break the rules only if you can preserve the reasons/principles behind it.

To do as such is ethical rule-breaking. To deviate from that is to commit delinquency or even crime.