"It would be foolish to despise tradition. But with our growing self-consciousness and increasing intelligence we must begin to control tradition and assume a critical attitude toward it, if human relations are ever to change for the better. We must try to recognize what in our accepted tradition is damaging to our fate and dignity—and shape our lives accordingly."
Albert Einstein (1946).
From Einstein's short essay, 'The Negro Question'. Whilst taken in context, it refers to race relations, a subject that has pertinence 70 years later. However, this also talks to a great deal of issues that can be seen as traditions that persist both here in Canada, and back in the homeland that require critical analysis, and yet are blithely maintained.
This is something I struggle with sometimes, seeing the need for reform, whilst still wanting to maintain strong links to the past and tradition, although, as I age, I seem to be erring more on the side of reform. This may be more as I become of an age where I can actively do something about it, maybe in my later years I will return to a more conservative outlook.
