Older conventions get chosen because they lower social risk

Evidence

Historical value is a hedge against social risk: long-standing conventions are more well-known, adhered to, and likely to be followed in the future. Rational humans, especially conservative ones toward the middle of the status hierarchy, will choose older forms over newer ones when signaling, and this keeps older conventions in circulation. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 646

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Many honored traditions were invented recently for commercial reasons — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 649; Survival itself implies value through a survivorship bias — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 644; Retro revivals genuinely diversify present-day cultural understanding — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 680 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Persistent practices are held in place by conditional preferences about social costs #expands (0.82) — , The Rod and the Child, 7322
• Conforming to prejudicial norms is as automatic as other social conventions #exemplifies (0.72)