Beware of Cultural Drift:

Robin Hanson:

"Who or what do you most trust? You might think it’s your parents, spouse, or a teacher. But in fact, you most trust your culture, as you are part of a species, humans, with the superpower of cultural evolution. So as a kid, you eagerly accepted most of what your prestigious associates said, especially if they had long agreed on it. You’re also inclined to accept changes to your culture that come from your culture, and to dismiss the contrary opinions of outsiders. You trust your culture not just on practical facts but on deep values and sacred feelings. Your culture’s instructions feel like a warm, loving embrace. You even find it hard to notice when you’re trusting your culture; its claims feel like obvious facts that no sane person could question.

Do cultures deserve this trust? They used to. For most of human history, the fact that your culture existed was evidence that it had done well for your ancestors and would likely do well for you. (This didn’t mean your culture’s claims were literally true, just that they were a reliable compass for living.) But today is no typical day in history."