Why do people justify certain practices by saying "its a tradition"?

[Omgodzilla]

Classic GOP response to why homosexuals can't get married = Because TRADITIONALLY, marriage has always been a union between a man and a woman.

Why do guys tend to pay on the first date? Because TRADITIONALLY, men were always seen as the providers for women.

Why do wives take their husband's last names? Because TRADITION demands it.

Those are just three examples but I'm sure there are plenty more. I see alot of people doing this. Their only real answer to why a certain practice or attitude continues to persist in society is "because tradition". I never understood this logic. Why does something being old and repeated many times in the past justify its continued use today? Slavery and racial segregation used to be traditions as well.

[Sledfang]

Gays can already marry in a lot of states.

[Calfredd]

Gays can already marry in a lot of states.

37 if I remember correctly.

[Zoaric]

Because it's tradition to defend with tradition.

[Deleted]

Because things were created with a specific purpose in mind and are now being used for something that they wasn't intended for.

I'm not saying I agree or disagree, just explaining the reason why to answer your question.

A bit like how Christmas was originally celebrated to honour Christ, but now it's just a school holiday where you get to open presents.

[Mormolyce]

A bit like how Christmas was originally celebrated to honour Christ, but now it's just a school holiday where you get to open presents.

Actually it was originally created to honour the agricultural deity Saturn. It was later hijacked and refitted by Christians.

With a lot of other pagan traditions thrown in over the years, eg Yule logs, the tradition of Sol Invictus (death and rebirth of a god of light on December 25th, sound familiar?) etc.

[Kraenen]

When people don't have real reasons for doing things or believing in them, they tend to repeat buzz-type words.

That said there are valid reasons to be skeptical of change to society. Something being old and repeated many times tends to mean it's worked. It also (more importantly) means that society has built itself around expecting the stability of such a tradition. Changing it would mean adaptation for everyone involved (which causes stress, which can cause a slew of other problems) and since human knowledge is imperfect some other unexpected negative consequences are likely to occur.

With that said, I don't think most people use my reasoning when they say for example that men should pay for the date because it's tradition. They're most likely just lazy-minded or don't wish to deviate from the consensus (and are reinforced by fitting a social role). Change is frightening to a lot of people, and though there are good reasons to be skeptical, being frightened and reactionary is plain dogmatic and closed-minded.

[Fexus]

Because new things are scary.

[Calfredd]

Actually it was originally created to honour the agricultural deity Saturn. It was later hijacked and refitted by Christians.

With a lot of other pagan traditions thrown in over the years, eg Yule logs, the tradition of Sol Invictus (death and rebirth of a god of light on December 25th, sound familiar?) etc.

Lot of pagan holidays got changed over the years. I remember reading about Halloween's origins.

[spinner981]

Classic GOP response to why homosexuals can't get married = Because TRADITIONALLY, marriage has always been a union between a man and a woman.

Why do guys tend to pay on the first date? Because TRADITIONALLY, men were always seen as the providers for women.

Why do wives take their husband's last names? Because TRADITION demands it.

Those are just three examples but I'm sure there are plenty more. I see alot of people doing this. Their only real answer to why a certain practice or attitude continues to persist in society is "because tradition". I never understood this logic. Why does something being old and repeated many times in the past justify its continued use today? Slavery and racial segregation used to be traditions as well.

The only place I see people use the argument "because tradition" is in movies, tv shows and books where the author is trying to paint somebody as ignorant or contrary to progress or something. I've never seem people use the argument "because tradition" outside of that.

Of course, I see tons of people falsely equate many aged arguments to the argument of "because tradition" simply in order to write off the actual argument. Not to mention, things are tradition because of reasons. Things didn't become popular out of tradition, they became popular for actual reasons, not "because tradition". Most arguments that usually involve the word tradition are actually "because tradition, and tradition because..." but most people prefer to write them off just because it is a tradition.

I would say that people rejecting certain things because said things are tradition is as much of a problem as people rejecting certain things because said things aren't tradition.

[Fexus]

The only place I see people use the argument "because tradition" is in movies, tv shows and books where the author is trying to paint somebody as ignorant or contrary to progress or something. I've never seem people use the argument "because tradition" outside of that.

Of course, I see tons of people falsely equate many aged arguments to the argument of "because tradition" simply in order to write off the actual argument.

And what is the "actual argument"?

[Deleted]

Because tradition. That's the point of traditions. If they went against their traditions, they wouldn't honor their traditions anymore. Honestly, traditions are stupid, but it's hard getting through to some of these people, because tradition.

[DEATHETERNAL]

Traditions generally have a solid basis for their foundation, but the primary reason people will defend them when they don’t even know the basis for them is because tradition gives some level of structure, predictability, and simplicity to society as opposed to the absolute chaos that would reign (and it would, so much that you don’t even think of as tradition is just that) if we just abandoned traditions we have been brought up with completely.

[spinner981]

And what is the "actual argument"?

The actual argument to what? Isn't this thread simply discussing the entire idea of tradition and not a single tradition in specific? Or did the thread already devolve into nitpicking certain traditions after only 10 posts?

[Kellhound]

Traditions are a bedrock of society, they may change over time and some may be outdated, but without them there really wouldn't be a society.

[jasdasm]

Because Jews and Muslims like to Mutilate Baby/young Boys.

[Stumps]

People justify things with "Tradition" because they value tradition. It is it's own justification. Just because you apparently don't value tradition doesn't mean that others don't or that they shouldn't. Any further need for rationale or justification is kinda pointless because we all have the right to choose what we value and what we don't.

[DEATHETERNAL]

Because Jews and Muslims like to Mutilate Baby/young Boys.

It begins.

[Curanhadin]

Actually it was originally created to honour the agricultural deity Saturn. It was later hijacked and refitted by Christians.

With a lot of other pagan traditions thrown in over the years, eg Yule logs, the tradition of Sol Invictus (death and rebirth of a god of light on December 25th, sound familiar?) etc.

It wasn't hijacked by Christians, Saturnalia was celebrated weeks earlier, December 25 was chosen because a Jewish belief at the time that all special people died on their birthday. So nine months after the day that Christ was believed to have been crucified on was Dec. 25,the other parts such as the evergreen/Christmas tree, yule log, mistletoe etc etc were actual brought in by other cultures as they became Christians. They would carry on some of their older traditions and adapt them to their new customs.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

People use tradition when it suits them.