Why do we do the things we do? Often, the answer is that's the way we've done them before.

When we explicity acknowledge this, we call it tradition. But most of the time, we fail to notice.

Class, political structure, culture. These are all human-created constructs. How do we know ours is the best way?

Our present political and social predicament is not the inevitable consequence of human nature. Instead, it's the result of decades and centuries old decisions made by long-dead white men. Why should we stick to those decisions?

The world has changed! We need new rules.

The biggest risk of traditions thinking is that we fail to realize other worlds are possible.

With enough time and willpower, we can change anything.

If you want to improve governance, you might ask why the US should have a house and a senate? If the answer is that's what the founders decided, then we need to revise our thinking.

Question their motivations and what they set out to do. Do their plans achieve their goals today? Are those goals reasonable things for us to want?

Tradition can be a meaningful way to connect with the past and provide guidance in the future. However, we can't be blind to its downsides. Don't be afraid to start over and build a different world.