Is America really devoid of tradition? Huston Smith thinks so.
We are not. We are basically the same thing as we have always been, we just have a different culture. Culture controls a huge part of what a person is, but it is not everything. There are still smart people and stupid people, as there have always been; there are creative people and logical people; there are leaders and followers. Some people follow every tradition. Some fight back against tradition.
My perspective is that of one who has a hard time following the traditions of American life. I can attest that there are far more areas of tradition than just wearing a tie (a traditional habit that has largely disintegrated since 1964). The one that got me thinking about it is healthcare.
In the US, we have a public fire-department. Set up not for any one person's profit, not for one person's gain, but for the safety of the general public. Which, when we are talking about fire prevention, is important to people. This has existed for a while and, by tradition, is accepted. We also have a public police system, much the same way. It is not for someone's gain, but for all our gain. Our educational system strives for this; our postal system hopes to keep everyone informed and connected. Time and bloat have worked into each of them, and a certain amount of re-thinking is often a good idea, but they are here likely to stay for a while.
We do not have public health. If people get sick, that is an opportunity for the wealthy to get a little bit more wealthy. Wondering if this could be for the benefit of our population instead of the wealthy few creates aneurysms for a lot of people. Why? Well, they aren't used to the idea. It sounds like socialism.
Maybe it is a stretch to call this 'tradition', but in the minds of many people, it is. It isn't a tradition for everyone, but it is for someone. Tradition in America is splintered. Traditions in one family will seem odd to their next door neighbor. But they are in place. The traditions of one family will encourage conservatism, the traditions of another will encourage liberalism.
Many of our traditions -- our non-legal habits -- are what Smith would call 'deliberate'. They are taught in school, as Confucius would have done. They are taught through our media, sometimes on purpose. Sometimes by accident. Usually, without good foresight. Our advertising systems create a lot of tradition. Our movies and video games. Confucius understood that entertainment and media helped mould the mind, especially at a young age. They become vehicles of cultural tradition.
Other rather pervasive American traditions I can identify are:
Contemporary Western life has moved so far from the tradition-dominated life of early man as to make it difficult for us to imagine how completely it is possible for human life to be controlled by mores. In one area only does custom continue to reach into our lives to control the switches, the area of dress and attire. If in dressing a businessman were to overlook his tie he could not get through the day. The predicament has nothing to do with indecent exposure; it is purely a matter of convention.Granted, this was written in 1964. I doubt that it was ever true. The only arean? Smith is a very intelligent person, and was educated partially outside the western cultural system. Yet, these words ring with an emic perspective: Modern, western, Homo sapiens is different from other Homo sapiens; we are more rational, we are more wise, we are more educated. We are more evolved from Primitive people.
Huston Smith, The Religions of Man, 1964.
We are not. We are basically the same thing as we have always been, we just have a different culture. Culture controls a huge part of what a person is, but it is not everything. There are still smart people and stupid people, as there have always been; there are creative people and logical people; there are leaders and followers. Some people follow every tradition. Some fight back against tradition.
My perspective is that of one who has a hard time following the traditions of American life. I can attest that there are far more areas of tradition than just wearing a tie (a traditional habit that has largely disintegrated since 1964). The one that got me thinking about it is healthcare.
In the US, we have a public fire-department. Set up not for any one person's profit, not for one person's gain, but for the safety of the general public. Which, when we are talking about fire prevention, is important to people. This has existed for a while and, by tradition, is accepted. We also have a public police system, much the same way. It is not for someone's gain, but for all our gain. Our educational system strives for this; our postal system hopes to keep everyone informed and connected. Time and bloat have worked into each of them, and a certain amount of re-thinking is often a good idea, but they are here likely to stay for a while.
We do not have public health. If people get sick, that is an opportunity for the wealthy to get a little bit more wealthy. Wondering if this could be for the benefit of our population instead of the wealthy few creates aneurysms for a lot of people. Why? Well, they aren't used to the idea. It sounds like socialism.
Maybe it is a stretch to call this 'tradition', but in the minds of many people, it is. It isn't a tradition for everyone, but it is for someone. Tradition in America is splintered. Traditions in one family will seem odd to their next door neighbor. But they are in place. The traditions of one family will encourage conservatism, the traditions of another will encourage liberalism.
Many of our traditions -- our non-legal habits -- are what Smith would call 'deliberate'. They are taught in school, as Confucius would have done. They are taught through our media, sometimes on purpose. Sometimes by accident. Usually, without good foresight. Our advertising systems create a lot of tradition. Our movies and video games. Confucius understood that entertainment and media helped mould the mind, especially at a young age. They become vehicles of cultural tradition.
Other rather pervasive American traditions I can identify are:
- Worship a striped and starred flag, along with the words "United States of America".
- If it has touched the floor or ground, it is instantly rendered inedible.
- Hosts are positive that guests never do dishes; guests are sure that guests should.
- Shower at least once a day, whether you need to or not.
- Cleaning with poison is the only way to make something truly clean.
- Without a thank you card, how would anyone know their gift was appreciated?
- Safety is more important than knowledge, freedom, or sanity.
- Television is an acceptable pastime, even if it's not productive; videogames are not.
- Chips are food.
- ....W.. W-walk? What's that mean?
- Texting is an equivalent to socializing.
- If you don't own a firearm, you obviously don't care about your family.
- Singing is for professionals only.
- Bicker! Especially if you can do so anonymously.
- Privacy is next to Divinity
- Math is hard.
- When you can't think of anything else to say, complain.
- It's not interesting if it's not negative.
I'll stop because I have become aware that I'm mostly following that last one, which I don't like so much. There are plenty more good traditions people follow unconsciously, I simply can't think of many.
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