Breaking a tradition vs. breaking a law
Breaking a tradition is a very heroic path
In our society if you break a law you go to prison.
Though if you break a tradition (and go you own way) you don't go to prison expect it to be hard.
Expect feeling guilty.
Even feeling you are in your own internal prison
(from which you will have to get out yourself).
It is not going to be easy.
Breaking a tradition is a very heroic path.
from the Deep Democracy Institute master-class of Max Schupbach
It is unfortunate, though, that sometimes written laws code traditions, rather than moral norms, such that you can sometimes break a tradition — while harming no one — and still go to prison.
So, breaking a tradition is in a sense worse, since you are guaranteed to end up in a prison of your own making... If you break a law, there is always a chance that you could get away with it.