Vulcans and Tradition

The Vulcans have been known to have intense devotion to their religious and social traditions. Given my personal inclinations I didn't question this at first. By this I mean that I am inclined to hold onto traditions and follow them even if they may go outside of fashionable norms. But what makes the Vulcans stick to their logic in face of the difficulties of restraining their emotions and the appeal that the emotions themselves present? There must be logic in the answer and maybe even wisdom.

To start out, the Vulcans have been holding onto the teachings of Surak for thousands of years. An obvious reason then would be that something that has lasted so long and has served its purpose is worth keeping, but I'm sure that wasn't all they were thinking. The most poignant reason that a human admirer and a wannabe Vulcan can come up with is that if there was ever any truth, validity, or goodness to the teachings of Surak that goodness then is goodness now. Gold is still gold a century later. Goodness doesn't become bad or spoil or decay. It may become perverted over time and perhaps thats what happened on Vulcan several times but it must be returned to its true path, not altered. The Vulcans recognized this in its entirety.

Some may ask then, how can the integral teaching of Surak known as IDIC or infinite diversity in infinite combinations, be something unchanging? Doesn't diversity change with time? The answer is actually not complex. Diversity, by definition means difference or variation. We can all agree that life is a concept which irrefutably unites even members of different species. Life is one thing that we all share. Our only hope for peace (something good) is through finding the roots of this commonality. Commonality therefore equal goodness? I think that the Vulcans would say so. What can be this commonality? Only something that is good for everyone would support the idea of diversity and its essence. That is goodness and truth itself. Because it upholds individuals of all types, not just a group, then it upholds diversity.

Some Vulcans, just like some humans, have strayed off truth's track but they did not bring the track (truth) with them. Goodness and truth remain the same and goodness/truth is diversity because truth is truth for all and goodness is goodness for all.

Hold onto truth and goodness,

It's what the Vulcans would do...

Suorek