We humans tend to rationalize whatever happens to us in order to avoid dealing with psychological distress. This is why abused wives tell themselves that the abuse is "really" a sign of how much their husband loves them. In reality, abuse is abuse, and the primitive peasant tradition the author was subjected to is no different from any other form of hazing and as such cannot be condoned. Dressing it up as a "culturally interesting" experience may act as a psychological salve, but society is not well served by pretending harmful practices are merely amusing cultural coloration.