Nothing draws me faster into an argument than hearing people imposing their trad (traditional) thinking on me. Trad thinkers are people who expects other people to do things simply because everyone else is (and has been) doing it. Their reason is, you should be like this or do something like this because (in their narrow perception) that's the way things are. No reasoning, no application of logic, not even a cursory investigation if such practice is reasonable or even just.
Here are such examples:
1. Trad think: You should not fold your pants. You (Neil) are the only one in the world doing it and it looks funny. Now, I do fold my pants for the practical reason that a waving part of garment near my feet are likely to be snagged to something and sometimes reach the ground. Pants you bought of the shelf are naturally long because they are designed for the ones with the longer legs - those with shorter legs can just have it trimmed by a tailor.
2. Trad think: You should be driving something a brand new SUV not that old pickup because that's what people in your position are driving. Oh yeah? But I do need a pick-up because I sometimes carry pipes and heavy cargoes. How would you fit a 4" X 3m steel segment inside an SUV or a goat that I carry from my farm? By the way, although my pickup is more than six years old, it is still presentable and in good condition.
3. Trad think: You should get married and have children. And what make's you think that doing so will increase my current level of happiness, I retorted? Well, (trad thinker replied) it is the right thing to do! And why is it the right thing to do, I persisted. And we drifted towards a heated argument about religion and morality where I soundly defeated the trad thinker. What a self-righteous prig!
more trad thinks to follow...
