Sentence:  Sure enough, when Jon appeals to centuries-old tradition binding the families of the north together, it comes off as good-hearted but short-sighted. <WSD>Look around</WSD>, Jon. It's a new day. Queens rule the continent. They might rule the North, too, if tradition hadn't made room for a bastard king. At a certain point, adhering to tradition becomes a failure to adapt. It traps people in the same deepening grooves of history their parents died in. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To take note of what is going on; To make oneself aware.