buybuydandavis comments on Singlethink - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (24)
Glad to know it wasn't just my own summer camp which was that deranged.
Might've been fun for you, but was it fun for everyone who was pressured into playing? I'm also slightly skeptical of your after-the-fact judgment that the initiation ritual was fun. But not too skeptical, for different people are different.
The ones for whom it was not fun were the ones in most need of the game.
It's natural to be afraid of pain. It's your body's signal for damage. But pain in that kind of controlled environment, where you know you are fundamentally safe, and no damage will occur, gives you a chance to get over your fear of pain, which in most cases is much more painful than the pain itself.
There are few things that a child will face that is more painful than the fear of pain. I think it's healthy for a child to be gently led out of that fear. When I was young, I was too afraid, and wish that someone had helped me to get past it.