What has tradition done anything to benefit humanity?

Question

Has sticking to a specific mindset or way of doing things because it's the way one's predecessors did it, without allowing re-evaluation ever do anything to benefit man kind as a whole? If so, what was the most recent benefit it garnered?

Bah, correction: Remove the "What" from the beginning of the question in your mind, it was a previous revision in the many, many drafts that took place during the 30 seconds I was writing it....

Correction to the Correction: Pfft, and in the above correction, note that I meant to say it was an artifact of a previous revision, not the revision in of itself.

Answer 1

The Bible warns about tradition. This implies it is not a good thing.
(Matthew 15:3) In reply he said to them: “Why is it YOU also overstep the commandment of God because of YOUR tradition?

(Matthew 15:6) he must not honor his father at all.’ And so YOU have made the word of God invalid because of YOUR tradition.

(Colossians 2:8) Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry YOU off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ;

Answer 2

Well, I think the key phrase in your question is "because it's the way one's predecessors did it, without allowing re-evaluation". I don't think traditions are normally followed without allowing re-evaluation. Think of Christmastime or any other holiday. We do many of the things our parents and our grandparents did because they give us comfort, for example, or remind of us our childhood. But we're always free to pick and choose the traditions that are meaningful to us and let the others go. (Christmas tree, yes; Sweet potato casserole, NO).

I look at tradition this way: it is the ultimate nod to democracy. It is the collective "vote" of all the people who have come before us. But each generation has the veto power, or swing vote, to keep or abandon any particular tradition, depending on whether they find it of value or not. I don't think most people hold to a tradition blindly, "because it's the way we've always done it."

Answer 3

In my opionion it is a good things because it allow us to have guidelines of how to behave. It allows society to have protocol of how to deal with each other. However, it should allow tradition to be expands to embrace new concept of living based on what society already have. this may encourage more functional life style and great development in the new generation.

Answer 4

there's nothing wrong with following the traditions of one's country (religious or otherwise) if they don't harm anyone or block educational progress.

+ traditions of a country can create a feeling of "togetherness" of people :)

Answer 5

Variation is good for the soil.

Answer 6

It has served to hide the mindless.