Chain up question

I grew up in an area that hovered right at the freezing point all winter and am very familiar with the oil-slick icy conditions (freezing fog and black ice made chain use impractical many times). When young we felt it didn't matter if you could move forward or back if you couldn't steer, so many times we only chained up or studded the front of our RWD vehicles. Back then most were manual transmissions with open differentials and you learned how to smoothly apply and disengage power to the drive wheels because sudden moves usually resulted in getting stuck or sideways. These vehicles were lighter in the rear than the front so maybe that is why we did not have problems with the rear passing the front. However I have also lived along the Eastern and Western coastal states of the US and in Central Europe. Every place had different conditions when it froze or snow fell. I'm sure I have developed some abnormal driving habits due to this diversity.