Abstract words such as "tradition" are like ancient coins whose concrete images have worn away. Traditions can be of two forms--either alive, amendable, and expandable (such as those in a family's annual Christmas celebration), or dead, empty formalities. An example of an empty tradition is the strict rule in freshman composition classes that papers must have thesis statements; although this rule is not wrong, it is necessary to teach students the techniques of invention in order for the tradition to come back to life. Students who find something to say through one of the methods of formal invention theory will then understand about thesis sentences and will be able to write appropriate ones for their essays. There is nothing inherently wrong with traditions, then: the crucial issue is the liveliness of the spirit behind them. (CC)