“Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it, of course.”
These were words of Lemony Snicket, which is the pen name of an American novelist known as Daniel Handler. He has written various books and novels for children and adults in form of literature, and fiction, as well as mystery and thrillers. In his books he usually recognizes traditions, but he believes traditions should not restrict him or his lifestyle. In relation to Shirley Kackson the writer of The Lottery, Daniel Handler could not allow traditions to limit human behavior. However, Christopher Lasch, argues that conservatives unwittingly support social forces that contribute to the destruction of traditional values.
Traditions are renowned for shaping the name or the fame of a given society. Although, traditions may define as the history of a given society, it should not bind the members to extreme beliefs that control their way of life. However, all societies as well as members of given communities are not the same. There is need to respect the uniqueness of every society and individuals when it comes to the definition of a tradition. Some traditions as shown in the lottery are impossible to follow to the end. Due to inadequate follow up, they insignificantly defined to exert influence to proper running of the society. Traditions do not define the modern status of a given society as they do nothing to improvement or development.
Although, traditions are unavoidable in the life of individuals, they should not be the shape of life. People have been made to believe that traditions form the integral part of their belief system, which is not critically true. People must not be bound by traditions, which are not truly meaningful in their current day-to-day life. There is exclusive need to identify with a tradition that is life-shaping and is not promoting pluralistic ignorance among individuals. For example, what is happening in the lottery, capitalization is not the proper definition of tradition because it is out to shape intellectual development retard growth critical thinking. The lottery, some of the practices that are observed as extremely significant are less useful to the modern society. There is need to come up with practices that should not be taken strictly as traditions in the definition of the status of the practices (Hoppal, 2013, p.27). However, traditions should be used as platforms of knowledge that will shape destiny of a given society.
Traditions are usually binding. They define certain procedures that should be followed strictly by all members of the given community without failure. For example, The lottery indicates that the practices being put forward have to be followed to the fullest. However, looking at some of the practices that the society pretends to be undertaking extremely seriously, there is no proper definition of traditions. The lottery is a poor presentation of what traditions have been known to be in the society. Like most individuals may get to understand, traditions should never be imitated or faked by use of short cuts in the name of satisfying the tradition. For example, in The lottery Mr. Summers convince villagers to replace traditional wood chips with paper slips. For sure, the two elements can never substitute each other. This shows that the society is not serious about traditions. Therefore, there is no way an outsider would take such traditions serious. Changes in some sections of traditional practices mean overall change of the tradition. If traditions were to remain influential to the society, it has to happen through proper respect of every provision that may come with the tradition. The minor changes that members of a given society try to change are not really meaningful as they do not reject the proper meaning of traditions. Changes being witnessed in the society today in form of education and technology have had massive influence to the understanding or definition of traditions (Traditions, 2013 p.35). Therefore, rendering traditions meaningless in the modern society.
However, traditions may be considered paramount f they extended certain values to the society. Traditions should be platforms for knowledge as well as education. It should be a way to appreciate modern society, which is filled with various elements that make it equally significant. At some point, traditions have hindered development as people in the modern society fear to act in a given line following the boundary set by a given tradition. Instead, traditions should take control of modern activities through definition or knowledge, which comes from education as well as improved technology. This is not the most outstanding time to stand by traditions that are deceptively influential. Traditions should be dynamic, as they should incorporate what happens in the modern world every day (Hoppal, 2013 p. 31). Societies should be free to change to new habits and not to be strict on certain principles for a long time.
Although, some traditions are good to the members of the given communities citizens should not follow them blindly. They should be ready to learn from them and make corrections where necessary. Therefore, traditions should be subject to influence by technology and education. People must reject the element of remaining on one line of thought for a vehemently long time. There is need for societies to learn how to improve their traditions form time to time. There should be no limits to how people perceive traditions. They should be bestowed upon personal choices where an individual should determine what to honor and what not to honor. What may make me happy is not the same element that may make another individual happy.
Works Cited
Jackson, Shirley. THE LOTTERY. Macmillan, 1948.
Hoppal, Mihaly. "Tradition Based Societies: Local Values for International Cooperation." TRADITION BASED SOCIETIES: LOCAL VALUES FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.folklife.si.edu/resources/unesco/hoppal.htm>
"Why is Tradition Important?." TRADITION. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. http://fallibleideas.com/tradition
