Thoughts or Stories on Hazing?

[macaroni]

Any thoughts on hazing, or perhaps stories you know or lived?
kindly,
mike

p.s. - My wife of many decades maintains all hazing is wrong. And my wife, for me--I've learned, is always right )) LOL! But I must also admit I both laugh at, and regret some hazing I've participated in or know about.

 

[AJL67]

Depends on the hazing, there is no black and white.

Sticking the NFL Rookie lineman that just signed a 150 million dollar contract with the team dinner, perfectly acceptable.

Sodomizing the sophomore point guard on the harlem PS323135 basketball team, criminal. (i forget which school it was there but it happened).

 

[trouttimes]

Hazing today is dangerous because kids can’t take it. Most could not have made it in basic training 30 or 40 years ago. Their feelings would have been hurt and they would need therapy for life. I understand why hazing is done in certain situations but in general, I don’t like it. I understand it can be used for bonding to others and to weed out the week. It can also be overdone. I also think it is ingrained to some extent in human nature. Look at little kids, they can be brutal to each other. This isn’t taught to them. It is instinct.

 

[macaroni]

Depends on the hazing, there is no black and white . . . .

Good point and examples of it, @AJL67. Thnx.

I don't know if it still happens, but I recall the practice for newly promoted enlisted men having the new rank or "stripes," -- "pinned on."

Basically, for lower ranks, our platoon would form two lines and the newly promoted (lower ranks, E-1 - E3, USMC) would walk in between the lines. Each person would punch the bicep of the newly promoted as he walked the line.

Sometimes, it went too far. I recall one newly promoted L/Cpl who showed up the next morning with an arm in a cast. One of his muscles had separated from the bone. Nobody wanted to really hurt him, and all felt bad I think--he was a good guy and we had regrets.

mike

 

[macaroni]

. . . it is ingrained to some extent in human nature. Look at little kids, they can be brutal to each other. This isn’t taught to them. It is instinct. . . .

Thanks @trouttimes, I think you're on to something here. I've seen it among toddlers. Doesn't mean it should be encouraged, just saying that some folks seem hard wired that way from very early

 

[PA Piper Mike]

Hazing, when done properly (nothing illegal or risk of injury), is a rite of passage. It lets the group know you can handle their group, sense of humor, philosophy, etc. and weeds out the whiny pricks. The problem with today's society/kids, is they can't deal with having their balls broken. Everyone is too offended. On the flip side too many kids think hazing needs to include drinking gallons of alcohol to see who passes out first or to physically abuse people. Those that did/do those levels of hazing are what gives hazing the bad rap and needs the severe punishments that go along with them.

 

[macaroni]

So, good and bad hazing...depends? That's what I'm wondering. Spot on, @PA Piper Mike! Thanks.

So, years back, when the bricklayers sent me (the laborer) for a "bucket of mortar joints" (which I failed to find LOL!) and the electrician sent me (the laborer, notice the patter LOL!) for the sky hook (which again, I failed to find--pattern LOL?) . . . we all took it in good humor and had a laugh!

But coming into my new area in the Squad Bay, my fellow Marines handcuffed me, took off my "blouse" and beat my chest and stomach so they were blue the next day...'course, they only only slapped me or used the backs of their hands--no fists 'cause we were "buddies" . . . well, that was a tad rougher!

What do you recall and what say you?
mike

 

[telescopes]

The problem with “good” or harmless hazing is the jacksss that takes it too far because they are a sadist at heart.

 

[macaroni]

The problem with “good” or harmless hazing is the jacksss that takes it too far because they are a sadist at heart.

Dr., you are quite right! Thank you.
kindly
mike

 

[sablebrush52]

Look at little kids, they can be brutal to each other. This isn’t taught to them. It is instinct.

Which is why the little ferrets are best left in cages until they’re at least 18.

 

[David D. Davidson]

The problem with “good” or harmless hazing is the jacksss that takes it too far because they are a sadist at heart.

100%. If you give people wiggle room to abuse, some will inevitably take it much too far. You see it everywhere there’s opportunity for a power imbalance, not just in hazing. I genuinely think it’s one of the biggest root causes of why we can’t have anything nice as a society.

I remember when I was in university working in a restaurant, the kitchen team would make staff meals, but always oversalt the newbies food on their first meal to see if they would mention it or be polite and pretend to enjoy it.

Then one day one of the cooks does the same thing but douses the food in hot pepper extract, which hurt the poor new hire terribly with a single bite. Not hot sauce, pure capsaicin extract. Some people just can’t or won’t distinguish gentle fun from meanspiritedness.

 

[macaroni]

. . . one of the cooks does the same thing but douses the food in hot pepper extract, which hurt the poor new hire terribly with a single bite. Not hot sauce, pure capsaicin extract . . .

Thanks @David D. Davidson, exactly. As for the use of hot stuff, I worked with a guy on the border - US/Mexico (Del Rio, Tx). He had four sons. When anyone said a bad word, he'd have them bite on a jalapeno pepper. Maybe that's like the old practice I recall of having my mouth washed out with a bar of soap when I slipped in a bad word and Mom heard me

 

[mso489]

Opposed on principle. All of the team building and testing for toughness rationales can't hide the dead bodies. So, no, no hazing.

 

[Peter Turbo]

When I was a freshmen in highschool I was hazed. These super cute upper class girls wearing basically nothing (it was a hot day) held me down and wrote “FRESHMAN” on my arms with magic marker. It was pure torcher, yep.

 

[macaroni]

@mso489 I am sobered by your response, bringing up the end result and over-the-top abuse, ". . . the dead bodies."

Abuse is wrong.

I see some of the lengths public schools go, in order to curb hazing or bullying (are they the same?). But I wonder if peer pressure will ever be curbed, much less--eradicated? And should it be? Am I perhaps being shallow in thinking of limits to behavior in terms of social pressure and even, laws? Surely some of these are necessary. Help me understand all this better, please.
Thanks for all your posts and your picture, @mso489--which I enjoy!
kindly
mike

 

[macaroni]

When I was a freshmen in highschool I was hazed. These super cute upper class girls wearing basically nothing (it was a hot day) wrote “FRESHMAN” on my arms with magic marker. It was pure torcher, yep.

Was that hazing? I would have loved it!! )) Probably, that's your point--and I AM SLOW!! ))

 

[kcghost]

Never underwent severe hazing. I suppose I had some in the Army in the 60's but nothing to write home about. As a rule, I think hazing or bullying is generally deplorable. Kids are the worst monsters in the world bar none. And teachers in my days did zero about it.

 

[olkofri]

Always been against the practice. In fact, I skipped med school's welcoming party because I objected to be others' sport.

 

[macaroni]

Always been against the practice. In fact, I skipped med school's welcoming party because I objected to be others' sport.

I shouldn't be surprised that this sort of thing would happen at a med school, but I was. Wondering how you knew such things might be in the offing (not doubting you, just wondering if there was scuttlebut).

 

[proteus]

Usually I haze my pipes very carefully. First I leave the pipe in the packaging. Solitary confinement. Then I introduce the pipe to my collection. A series of rich burleys are smoked to season it. Then in front of all the other pipes, I insert a pipe cleaner into the smoke hole very slowly and move it back and forth to throughly clean it to make it ready to accept the targeted tobacco for that pipe. Then the pipe is very ready to become part of my collection.