: The irrationality of traditions.

I'm not much for traditions personally. I mean, they're neat, and might be fun to follow when possible, but I don't have any traditions that I try to cling on to, and follow no matter what. The reason simply being that most traditions either are, or more likely have become, completely irrational.

Many traditions might have a source with a cause. They started with a reason, and have kept on going for years and years, until no one remembers any more exactly why they do what they do, they just keep on doing it because it's how it's always been. This is very nicely illustrated in the 5 Monkey Eperiment. The problem often is that over the years, the reason for doing it have disappeared. And instead, there are an increasing number of reasons for not doing it. And still, people keep on doing what they've been doing, even though they most likely don't know why they were doing it in the first place.

Now, I'm not saying that all traditions are bad. There are a lot of very innocent traditions that are just for fun, or useful traditions that still have a purpose. And if you want to stick with those, while they're still innocent or useful, then by all means do so. There's also the option of adjusting outdated or harmful traditions so they fit in with how the world have evolved and no longer cause the problems they otherwise would in today's society. That's also perfectly fine. But you have to stop once in a while and think about what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how it affects the people around you.

The biggest problem is family traditions. Things that most, maybe even all, of the older generations within a family believes define their specific family, what they believe makes them special. And when I say older generations, I really mean anyone old enough to have the ability to form their own opinions about things. In these families, traditions tend to survive far longer than they should, because it's taught as a way of life to every new generation, the opinion that this is the way to do it has been imprinted in their minds long before they're able to form their own opinions about it. It's just how they live, it's what they are...

But at some point, someone has to look closely at what they're doing, and if there really is something wrong with it, they have to stand up and say "I'm sorry, but I no longer see the point of doing this. We're no longer preserving our family's identity by doing this, we're actually hurting our own by doing what we're doing". I really wish this happened more often, that people dared to stand up to their family authorities and question or change things that don't make sense, or are outright harmful. 

It's very sad, in oh so many ways, that people are willing to sacrifice the life-quality of others, even their own family, to preserve outdated and pointless family identities. And it's frustating to stand on the outside and watch it happen, and not be able to do anything about it...

This is a response to a family situation, which is why it ends the way it does...