Why tradition is dangerous

However, not all traditions are created equal. Some practices that are continued today involve acts or beliefs that are harmful or dangerous to others. Yet many feel that if these traditions are not continued, we somehow let down our culture, our identity, or our ancestors; we lose a part of ourselves.

Can there be a way for tradition and integrity to coincide when our traditions engender cruelty or harm? We should take into consideration here the given definition of tradition. Acting out of tradition does not mean we are imitating earlier generations — we are not expected to dress and speak and act exactly like we live in the s even if we are practicing a tradition created in the s.

Many holidays have changed over the years, such as moving the date or changing what objects and materials are used for its observance. Thanksgiving has even been celebrated in July , and it used to be more common to carve out turnips than pumpkins on Halloween. These are merely benign examples of tradition in order to begin on the broader picture. There are many aspects of tradition which can easily be altered without changing much at all about the tradition itself, changes which benefit us greatly and will teach future generations of values that we hold important.

He calls us to move out of our comfort zone and follow His prompting, which involves following the path He makes for us. This is a scary proposition for some people, because it involves facing the unknown and trusting Him. About Us Dr. Culture does change with time. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Join our movement today. Help us continue to fight human rights abuses.

Please give now to support our work. Human Rights Watch. Donate Now. Take Action. Join Us. Give Now. He believes that their lack of respect for this traditional practice will surely bring bad fortune to their lives.

And when a practice becomes outdated or no longer shows any beneficial results for it people, then that practice should be abandoned in favor of a new, better way of doing things. Works Cited Coulthard, A. Stella-Rondo claims that Shirley-T. She points out that Shirley-T. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. The Dangers of Tradition Tradition is huge in small towns and families and allows for unity through shared values, stories, and goals from one generation to the next.

The story follows a small town that performs the tradition of holding an annual lottery in which the winner gets stoned to death. By volunteering her daughters, that are married and thus draw with their one families, Tessie shows that she would rather have a family member be stoned to death than herself.

She is also set out as a hypocrite because she does not complain when any other family is picking slips if another family had picked the slip she would have stoned someone else to death , she only questions the lottery when her family is the one that has to choose. Tessie finally sees outside of the bubble that everyone in the village is in.