Keeping With Tradition
According to this Wikipedia article, in Nordic countries, only government-run vendors can sell alcohol because the government wants to crack down on alcohol consumption in countries where "binge drinking is an ancient tradition". Nice one.
This got me wondering about other interesting ancient traditions. How about: kissing the Blarney Stone. According to tradition, one who kisses the Blarney Stone is given the gift of eloquence. At his own risk, one must climb over the parapet of an Irish castle and hope that his friend doesn't let go as he lowers himself precariously over the edge to lay his lips on the Blarney Stone. One of two things can happen. Either he falls, in which case the myriad expletives flowing from his mouth in the seconds before death prove the tradition true; or he doesn't fall and when questioned as to his death-defying experience he answers, "Oh, blimey. Lost for words! Can't describe the feeling!", proving the tradition of eloquence somewhat false.
Military personnel are famous for "hazing" as a traditional way of welcoming new recruits. Come to think of it, kids do the same at school to the new guys. Taking advantage of the newbies is obviously a cross-cultural and cross-generational tradition.
Tevya, of "Fiddler on the Roof" fame, sang of keeping traditions. Nietzsche spoke of learning to change in order to avoid self-destruction. Tevye didn't self destruct and Nietzsche didn't sing, so I guess they are even.
I think that some traditions are not just nice things we do for sentimental reasons, but they are necessary to enable us to get on in life. Familiarity. Routine. Habit. For example, my traditional prayer before lighting a barbecue in public - that prayer is all that stands between me and a totally humiliating disaster; or only eating sunflower seeds while drinking beer. Is there any other way?
In the modern computer age, where this morning was a lifetime ago in technology years, I hereby resurrect my ancient tradition of blog posting. Hurrah!
This got me wondering about other interesting ancient traditions. How about: kissing the Blarney Stone. According to tradition, one who kisses the Blarney Stone is given the gift of eloquence. At his own risk, one must climb over the parapet of an Irish castle and hope that his friend doesn't let go as he lowers himself precariously over the edge to lay his lips on the Blarney Stone. One of two things can happen. Either he falls, in which case the myriad expletives flowing from his mouth in the seconds before death prove the tradition true; or he doesn't fall and when questioned as to his death-defying experience he answers, "Oh, blimey. Lost for words! Can't describe the feeling!", proving the tradition of eloquence somewhat false.Military personnel are famous for "hazing" as a traditional way of welcoming new recruits. Come to think of it, kids do the same at school to the new guys. Taking advantage of the newbies is obviously a cross-cultural and cross-generational tradition.
Tevya, of "Fiddler on the Roof" fame, sang of keeping traditions. Nietzsche spoke of learning to change in order to avoid self-destruction. Tevye didn't self destruct and Nietzsche didn't sing, so I guess they are even.
I think that some traditions are not just nice things we do for sentimental reasons, but they are necessary to enable us to get on in life. Familiarity. Routine. Habit. For example, my traditional prayer before lighting a barbecue in public - that prayer is all that stands between me and a totally humiliating disaster; or only eating sunflower seeds while drinking beer. Is there any other way?
In the modern computer age, where this morning was a lifetime ago in technology years, I hereby resurrect my ancient tradition of blog posting. Hurrah!
"Nietzsche didn't sing"
ReplyDeleteActually, he did - which is why he is a noted philosopher, and not a noted tenor.