The Traditionalists

Typical Traditionalist President: Dwight Eisenhower. 

Riesman's remaining category is the "tradition-directed"; the ancient and medieval worlds consisted mostly of this type. These people are driven by the traditions and culture of their community. They are terrified of being themselves for fear of banishment or punishment. They never rebel or challenge authority. They are governed by a mentality of avoiding shame. They are terrified of losing face, of suffering a loss of honour. They will obey idiotic rules simply because those idiotic rules have always been obeyed and no one dare challenge them. Look at Muslims, Orthodox Jews, Sikhs, Hindus and the like - wearing ludicrous, inappropriate, religiously-inspired clothes in a modern world, obeying ludicrous dietary laws based on food prohibitions that might have made sense thousands of years old but which are idiotic now, shunning and despising members of other communities that do not follow their rules. They are fearful, brainwashed people, scarcely human at all: more like machines without any stamp of individuality. They are at their happiest when they are surrounded by millions of others just like them, obeying the same absurd rules. The Islamic ceremonies at Mecca, birthplace of Mohammed, involving millions of worshippers walking in circles and reinforcing their mutual belief system, best illustrate this type of person. They lack individuality and bravery. They can only act courageously in the name of their traditions, not in their own name. Pathetic in practically every regard. A disgrace to the human race.