Thanks, Happy, I had forgotten about that, as usual. But Rand's girls still act out-of-character afterward, I think. Only Avhienda should be so groovy about this.
Taking things too far is kind of a tradition on fantasy forums, is it not?
I was thinking a bit more about the subject of hazing today, and since I had posted something about Mr. Rigney's military background being a possible explanation, I feel I must add a bit more. I'm not sure anymore if the Aiel Wise One training is really hazing, or even if the Aes Sedai initiation rituals are truly cruel. Rather, they remind me more of American Indian traditions, and here's why: they are not meant purely for the sake of cruelty or degradation. Nor are they used to break the spirit, but to actually show the Wise One that she needs to question authority to move on, in the case of Avhienda's testing. And wasn't that a surprise! They are meant as a purposeful trial, not humiliation for the sake of shared suffering, which is what hazing seems to be, along with pure sadism at times. So, because there is no real cruelty involved without a purpose, there should be no emotional/psychological consequences on either side. Are there any other hazing examples from the book I am forgetting?