4 ms·

No reason to hate sororities and frats because we nerds couldn't join or didn't want to join.

mdhb 3y ago
Still… you have to admit that it’s a pretty weird and distinctly American concept where you essentially pay to have friends.
- orangepurple 3y ago
  You are joining a cult which doubles as a long term support group. Since race and shared experience are no longer unifying social pillars, frats and sororities fill the void. Initiates pledge allegiance and loyalty to the cult and its goals and these commitments are verified through psychological tests.
  - sjsdaiuasgdia 3y ago
    Sounds terrible and inferior to genuine relationships.
    - orangepurple 3y ago
      Especially since the psychological tests often involve physical torture. It becomes the shared experience that initiates bond over.
- drewcoo 3y ago
  Paying to have friends sounds a lot like "college" in general to this nerd. I was always told "wait until you get to college and you'll find those people." Plus there's the common narrative of college friends you'll have for the rest of your life.
  - mdhb 3y ago
    Yeah it wasn’t my experience either to be fair, I don’t talk to a single person from that time any longer. I found some of those experiences elsewhere in life though and I hope you did too!
ryanklee 3y ago
> no reason Umm... There's probably some good reasons. https://www.vox.com/22384053/abolish-greek-life-fraternities-sororities https://www.vox.com/22384053/abolish-greek-life-fraternities...
- veave 3y ago
  Vox link, I already imagined the reasons they were going to give.
  - ryanklee 3y ago
    Imagination is all you need, I guess.
    - veave 3y ago
      Not really, which is why I clicked to confirm. When you have someone saying that everybody has a certain problem, the problem is usually them.
      - ggm 3y ago
        A general observation would be that in-group and out-group behaviour in teens and early stage adults is normal, but normalising the formalism of being in or out is a regressive tendency. you may like it. Lots of people don't and it's their business because its about all of us in the end. That said, Geraldo opening skull and bones vaults Doonesbury is a great cartoon sequence. A better model might be "erasmus" -a European norm, which has led to strong bonds, without the hazing and drinking rituals.

mdhb 3y ago

Still… you have to admit that it’s a pretty weird and distinctly American concept where you essentially pay to have friends.

orangepurple 3y ago
You are joining a cult which doubles as a long term support group. Since race and shared experience are no longer unifying social pillars, frats and sororities fill the void. Initiates pledge allegiance and loyalty to the cult and its goals and these commitments are verified through psychological tests.
- sjsdaiuasgdia 3y ago
  Sounds terrible and inferior to genuine relationships.
  - orangepurple 3y ago
    Especially since the psychological tests often involve physical torture. It becomes the shared experience that initiates bond over.
drewcoo 3y ago
Paying to have friends sounds a lot like "college" in general to this nerd. I was always told "wait until you get to college and you'll find those people." Plus there's the common narrative of college friends you'll have for the rest of your life.
- mdhb 3y ago
  Yeah it wasn’t my experience either to be fair, I don’t talk to a single person from that time any longer. I found some of those experiences elsewhere in life though and I hope you did too!

ryanklee 3y ago

> no reason Umm... There's probably some good reasons. https://www.vox.com/22384053/abolish-greek-life-fraternities-sororities https://www.vox.com/22384053/abolish-greek-life-fraternities...

veave 3y ago
Vox link, I already imagined the reasons they were going to give.
- ryanklee 3y ago
  Imagination is all you need, I guess.
  - veave 3y ago
    Not really, which is why I clicked to confirm. When you have someone saying that everybody has a certain problem, the problem is usually them.
    - ggm 3y ago
      A general observation would be that in-group and out-group behaviour in teens and early stage adults is normal, but normalising the formalism of being in or out is a regressive tendency. you may like it. Lots of people don't and it's their business because its about all of us in the end. That said, Geraldo opening skull and bones vaults Doonesbury is a great cartoon sequence. A better model might be "erasmus" -a European norm, which has led to strong bonds, without the hazing and drinking rituals.