I'm a huge fan of high agency first principles celebrations and traditions.
Sometimes it's easier to optimize for tradition as opposed to utility, because it can be hard to discover utility optimizes, even for oneself let alone another person.
But we're rationalists! If someone is willing to actually think (and we are, that's what we do) the potential gains are substantial.
As an example, my younger brother is getting married and my wife and I are his main source of wedding planning advice and at every turn we basically say "screw tradition do what makes you happy." Today he asked if it would be weird for him to have an engagement ring in addition to his fiancé. We told him it was atypical, but the tradition largely stems from older patriarchal society and can probably be safely ignored. (something something Chesterton's fence)
While sometimes it is wise to fall in line with tradition for the sake of not unnecessarily expending social capital, we are probably much too conservative most of the time and therefore leave a lot of utility on the table.
I'm a huge fan of high agency first principles celebrations and traditions.
Sometimes it's easier to optimize for tradition as opposed to utility, because it can be hard to discover utility optimizes, even for oneself let alone another person.
But we're rationalists! If someone is willing to actually think (and we are, that's what we do) the potential gains are substantial.
As an example, my younger brother is getting married and my wife and I are his main source of wedding planning advice and at every turn we basically say "screw tradition do what makes you happy." Today he asked if it would be weird for him to have an engagement ring in addition to his fiancé. We told him it was atypical, but the tradition largely stems from older patriarchal society and can probably be safely ignored. (something something Chesterton's fence)
While sometimes it is wise to fall in line with tradition for the sake of not unnecessarily expending social capital, we are probably much too conservative most of the time and therefore leave a lot of utility on the table.