Tradition

dear readers - 

Apologies about the lack of posts lately! ups and downs have left theokwek with a writer's block or two, but finally, ah, an essay!

the straight times editor

Tradition.

It’s a strange world after all.

In this quirky place where we live, it’s become a polite thing to say: “Oh that’s a nice number!” whenever someone gives you his number, whether or not it’s really easy to remember. It’s also become a nice thing to ask whether the other person has eaten, whatever time of the day; and to ask someone “How’ve you been?” even if you talk to him every day. Someone sends you a song and it’s rude not to like it, and if somebody mentions something you’ve never heard of before, it’s only basic etiquette to pretend to agree.

These are all strange social norms that have arisen within our civilization – an increasingly connected world where we seem to find communicating easy, interpreting still not our piece of cake and relating downright difficult. So sometimes we depend on these norms to build rapport with strangers – whom some prefer to call ‘friends they never knew’, to direct acquaintances to a familiar conversation topic, and to greet our friends.

Besides serving as dialogue starters, these norms also help to give a sense of unity with the person next door. True, we have become used to diversity (a phenomenon that the governments of multiracial countries have been trying to promote), but instinct still instructs us to flock with birds of the same feather. Thus we create common actions, and denote to each a meaning of goodwill. In some ways, our social norms are large-scale sign language.

But there are, as always, those who willfully divert from our norms in the name of freedom of thought and speech. Why should our actions be governed by invisible customs – laid down by centuries of mutual suspicion – in order to communicate effectively with others?  

Thus old customs are destroyed, and emphasis is placed on the unconventional. People begin to be intentionally rude – or defiant, or discourteous – by traditional standards, and the practices of previous generations are gradually forgotten and lost. New sets of actions and expressions are created, widening the space for exploring and deconstructing the thought that is placed in every action.

While there is nothing objectionable about this – indeed, what really is objectionable in today’s society? – a pause for reflection may be in order.

After all, if the very basis of rebellious – or up-to-date, depending on how you view them – actions is the breaking of cultural norms, it seems as if we as a generation have not actually departed from them. Even though these customs and practices may now be the guidelines of what not to do instead of what to do, the fact remains that they continue to influence our choice of actions to a large extent. The action of repressing a custom is still affected by the custom, and the custom is not lost.

Furthermore, the underlying principle of tradition is change. This may sound contradictory, but in reality, tradition changes to fulfill the needs of the people that create them. Breaking customs is not something new – it has been done for millennia, albeit unintentionally, and new habits have been created in the place of old ones. The starting of new trends to challenge existing trends is in itself hypocritical, because the pioneers of a new culture today only emerge as tomorrow’s ancestors.

So, the next time you ask how silly a traditional practice is, think again. What you establish in its place might be the redundant cultural norm of the next generation.