Traditions are sets of practices that have survived and passed down through time from generation to generation. They usually weren't arrived at through a process of reasoning, and even if they were, that reasoning is often lost to time. And yet, the very fact that these traditions propagated through time gives us information about their utility.

Ignoring the information encapsulated in traditions and their utility as a coordination mechanism is a common Pitfall of Rationality, as the examples in The Secret Of Our Success show.

Central ideas relating to this topic include

The Lindy Effect
Chesterton's Fence
Schelling Points

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