Tradition or habit?
The diversity of the world makes each of us unique, but not necessary different from one another. We're all members of the human race, yet we're easily distinguished by our sex, habits, cultures and traditions. Does it mean that we are programmed to function according to the expectancy from our society? In order for us to answer this question, it's essential to understand the affect of the adopted set of values that play into our daily lives. For example, Susan Faludi concluded in her essay "The Naked Citadel" that men are stripped of their identity by being pressured into masculine roles by our society. She claims that it was expected of cadets to "act like a man" instead of simply fitting the roles of human beings (Faludi, 282). Faludi also attempts to interpret our behavior in relation to the learned habits and cultural beliefs. For instance, the reason Shannon Faulkner was denied admission to a military academy, the Citadel, was because she was a woman. Many of the Citadel's cadets and faculty members felt as though "She would be destroying a long and proud tradition" (Faludi, 256). Nevertheless, no matter what values we adopt, it is very difficult to escape the influence of the outside circumstances or as Malcolm Gladwell
He doesn't necessary agree that a child's aggressive behavior, for example, results from the way that individual was raised. He points out that "Studies of juvenile delinquency and high school drop out rates, demonstrate that a child is better off in a good neighborhood and a troubled family than he or she is in troubled neighborhood and a good family" (Gladwell, 300). Were we taught to perform such actions, or simply adopted the knowledge from the outside sources? Once again, according to Gladwell, "children are powerfully shaped by their external environments" which he claims "play a huge role in shaping who we are and how we act (Gladwell, 300). Those events can be considered traditions, although we have the power to abolish them. When traditions are shared by common state or a common community, they can hardly be broken. For example, going to church on Easter Sunday, to many Christians, is considered to be a tradition. This is due to the fact that greater populations are involved and it takes the majority to produce a difference. Then, "people walking will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge" (Gladwell, 289). For example, men and women are often held to different standards within societies. Even the simplest, little action such as brushing your teeth may considered a habit. While women are stereotyped to be less capable and weaker than men, Faludi makes an astonishing discovery. So as we can see, it is very possible to get rid of any bad habit as long we have a strong will power and determination to produce a positive change. At the same time, no one is physically forcing us to have a Thanksgiving dinner with your family; yet you cannot help but feel emotional discomfort. For example, your morning routine is a set of activities you perform daily before getting ready to go out. It is also not surprising that whenever women take roles traditionally held by only men, Faludi "began to wonder why the man who opposed women's progress were so angry" (Faludi, 249).
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Acceptance Essays
