How war has influenced ancient, classical and medieval societies

[Husar]

So military training takes a bit out of the tricks of cults in general. A non destructive hazing ritual which disorientates the recruits, puts them through a difficult task and then joins them to the bigger team but teaching them tricks of the trade is proably a much more effective bonding ritual then a graduation parade.

But it's not like these two are the only tools humans have at their disposal to achieve a bond between men.
I've actually used similar "bonding techniques" as a kid, but that was cruel and stupid and I haven't done it since.

Or are you proposing a world without extreme situations - nor men to handle them?

I'd prefer a world where other people do not insinuate that I'm not a real man because I am not keen of going through a silly hazing ritual.

More extreme kinds of hazing like jumping somebody to initiate them into a gang, or the kinds of crap frat pledges are occasionally stereotyped as having to do are certainly bad things and I agree with Husar that they're dumb.

I thought that's what we're mostly talking about when we say hazing because otherwise the topic is not all that relevant.
Even here in Germany there are really, really stupid and disgusting rituals in the army, which revolve around things like having to eat raw eggs, some stuff with naked people and so on. And then I heard anecdotes about people putting out cigarettes on the skin of non-smokers. If that's what some people see as the good stuff that turns you into a real and disciplined man then I probably don't even want to be one.

Because hazing in a military tradition that stretches back since the origin of mankind isn't the same as hazing found on the school yard or among thug gangs in USA.

I was uplifted from this hazing, why would it be negative?

I thought we're not talking about some funny prank but about actually humiliating rituals that involve all kinds of abuse.

Hazing is the practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazing

Schoolyards and gangs taking over the principle without all the OTHER principles - yes of course it is bound to go wrong. But hazing as is - in the elite regiments and platoons - still serve the good of mankind IMNSHO...

The problem is that every regiment has its own rituals and there are enough reports of them being not so dissimilar or even worse than the ones you find in the aforementioned gangs. It may be different in Sweden where it's all fun and games but maybe look for some Bavarian ones for example.
You can start here: http://www.thelocal.de/20100223/25447

I wonder why the soldiers wrote letters to complain if it made them bond so nicely.