Tradition

From The Practical Ontology & Compendium of Social Cohesion

Definition: Placeholder



As used herein, a Tradition, or something that is Traditional, refers to a goal-oriented way of Acting shared by two or more Persons in Situations where both the Situation and the Acting are repetitive and routine like a Habit in an Individual.

Notice this sequence ranging from spontaneous to methodical: Reaction, Response, Habit, and Tradition.

Commentary  

Sometimes in ordinary usage when we talk about a certain "tradition" we mistakenly have in mind the Content of a Tradition such as a Christmas tree or a menorah when actually it is the gathered people lighting the Christmas tree or menorah - the Bodily Action - the Event - that is the Tradition with the Content of the Tradition - the Christmas tree or menorah - being Objects through which the Bodily Traditional Event happens in Reality.

Tradition characteristically achieves its purpose better than available alternatives for long periods even in some cases stretching across many generations covering tens of thousands of years. When a given Tradition becomes less successful in achieving its purpose compared to available alternatives - or simply is overtaken by alternatives deemed by society to be more Desirable - its repetition diminishes.

To Understand better what I mean by Tradition, recall what an Action is - It is a feeling felt, a thought thought, a word uttered or a deed done.  With regard to Tradition, examples of repetitive feelings include those that commonly swell-up in many people's hearts when they hear the National Anthem. Examples of repetitive thoughts and words include the Lord's Prayer or any formulaic prayer prayed silently or aloud.  Examples of repetitive deeds include standing when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, men taking off their hats in church or assisting women in public generally.

Note that it is the repetitive way of Acting that is Traditional, not the Person who at the moment is Acting in a Traditional manner.  For example, a bridesmaid in a lovely gown proceeding slowly down the center aisle of a church holding a bouquet of flowers is Acting in a Traditional manner for such an occasion, i.e., walking in a certain way wearing a certain costume, etc., even though she has never done so before.  

Now let's talk through some examples of Tradition compared to alternatives deemed better or more Desirable -

A Greek poet many thousands of years ago who was reciting aloud from memory the Iliad and Odyssey was behaving in a Traditional manner.  The combination of memorization and recitation was the way these poems were transmitted from one generation to the next because - for one thing - it was the only way they could have been transmitted prior to the invention of the alphabet. Memorization and recitation was the "better alternative."

When a Traditional way of Acting in a certain sphere starts to be less successful in achieving its objective compared to available alternatives or is supplanted by another way deemed more Desirable, its practice among people declines and may disappear.  Once the Iliad and Odyssey were written down, for example, the Tradition of memorizing began a slow decline.  It slowly became easier to read these poems aloud or in silence from a text - nowadays in print or electronically - than it was to memorize and recite them aloud for the next generation.

Notice that when a new way is deemed to be a more successful way of Acting in a given case, it may be, but is not necessarily so.  There may be many unintended, negative consequences to the new way.  

For example, on the positive side of the equation, not that long ago, the use of horses and buggies was the Traditional mode of transportation for people.  It was a Habit you learned from your parents or other older people.  You didn't read an instruction book or otherwise, have to do a lot of thinking.  Hundreds if not thousands of times you got your horse out of the barn and harnessed it to the buggy and off you'd go.  Then with the advent of the automobile, it was deemed - I believe for many good reasons - a superior mode of transportation.  Nowadays most people have never touched a horse, much less harnessed one to a buggy.  The Traditional use of horses and buggies has gone away.

On the negative side of unintended consequences, however, the automobile along with other factors has led to urban sprawl which, in turn, has obliterated the Tradition of visiting with one's neighbors, especially on Sundays.  Not that long ago, houses routinely were designed with parlors. They were used.  They had pianos. Typically it was the women and girls who played the pianos.  Everyone sang.  It was one means of entertainment.  Now houses have media centers and no one visits.

Traditions are important. They are efficient and effective.  Our Bodies are built for them.  Read-up on Habit.

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