--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why do so many young people literally die…" description: "\"Why do so many young people literally die to belong to fraternities, sororities, and other college social organizations? The answer is complicated, but..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/hank-nuwer-86454_acceptance_why-do-so-many-young-people-literally-di_2677295.jpg" --- # Why do so many young people literally die to belong to… ![“Why do so many young people literally die to belong to fraternities, sororities, and other college social organizations? The answer is complicated, but here is a starting point: Ever since the medieval universities were founded, young people have done whatever it takes to gain acceptance, to break…” quote by Hank Nuwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/hank-nuwer-86454_acceptance_why-do-so-many-young-people-literally-di_2677295.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/hank-nuwer-86454_acceptance_why-do-so-many-young-people-literally-di_2677295.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/hank-nuwer-86454_acceptance_why-do-so-many-young-people-literally-di_2677295.jpg) > “Why do so many young people literally die to belong to fraternities, sororities, and other college social organizations? The answer is complicated, but here is a starting point: Ever since the medieval universities were founded, young people have done whatever it takes to gain acceptance, to break with their past lives, to achieve a sense of power, to carve out a society of their own that isn't quite what their tutors and teachers had in mind. In the United States, hazing and drinking have been endemic since colonial days.” Hank Nuwer ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. College social groups promise belonging but often demand dangerous conformity. **In simple terms:** Belonging can be risky. Key Takeaway Seek healthy community, question harmful traditions. Themes youth culture belonging hazardous rites Mood critical concerned Type sociological analytical When to use this quote - college orientation - student counseling - peer mentorship Key Concepts social identity group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Why do students accept risky rites? - How can institutions foster safe belonging? A Different Perspective Traditions can be deeply entrenched and resistant to change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Belonging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonging/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Fraternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fraternity/) [Hazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hazing/) [Medieval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medieval/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-life/) [Past Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-lives/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-organization/) [Sorority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorority/) [Starting point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-point/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) [Whatever it takes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whatever-it-takes/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Hazing is an extraordinary activity that, when it occurs often enough, becomes perversely ordinary as those who engage in it grow desensitized to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-nuwer/hazing-is-an-extraordinary-activity-that-when-it-occurs-often-enough/) Hank Nuwer > [In modern society, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for men to be men. For masculinity to flourish in all its glory. For daring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/in-modern-society-there-are-fewer-and-fewer-opportunities-for-men-to/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [I went to USC where there's a huge Greek system. The school is in a pretty seedy area, so the only social life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-went-to-usc-where-there-s-a-huge-greek-system-the-school-is-in-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [Fraternities are bizarre because, as a pledge, some clown who wears Hollister & Co. flip-flops exclusively will make you clean his toilet with a toothbrush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-evans/fraternities-are-bizarre-because-as-a-pledge-some-clown-who-wears/) [Sean Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-evans/) > [“Football, fraternities, and fun have no place in the university. They were introduced only to entertain those who shouldn’t be in the university.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/football-fraternities-and-fun-have-no-place-in-the-university-they/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Once fraternities became tied to power and leadership, the powerful and would-be-leaders wanted to join.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/once-fraternities-became-tied-to-power-and-leadership-the-powerful/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [I would have much rather been in the jalopy with the kids, going to Hunt's for hamburgers. But, when I entered high school, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/i-would-have-much-rather-been-in-the-jalopy-with-the-kids-going-to/) [Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/) > [While today's fraternities are hardly the literary- and debate-inspired groups of yore, their core mission - or, at the least, their ideal core mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/while-today-s-fraternities-are-hardly-the-literary-and-debate/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [There are different Klans just like there are different fraternities in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/there-are-different-klans-just-like-there-are-different-fraternities/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [When fraternities are not allowed, Communism flourishes. Young men who are inexperienced but have faith are more useful than older, experienced men without faith.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/when-fraternities-are-not-allowed-communism-flourishes-young-men-who/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [Whether four years of strenuous attention to football and fraternities is the best preparation for professional work has never been seriously investigated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/whether-four-years-of-strenuous-attention-to-football-and/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [“Most secret societies—at least those you can read about in books or on the Internet—are collegiate. Or adult... They are like fraternities, only they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/most-secret-societies-at-least-those-you-can-read-about-in-books-or/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [I totally respect fraternities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-jackson/i-totally-respect-fraternities/) [Trevor Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-jackson/) > [Fraternities breed leaders. That, at least, is what most any chapter website will tell you, in not so many words - and the message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/fraternities-breed-leaders-that-at-least-is-what-most-any-chapter/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [Everybody knows that fraternities are a normal culture in all colleges. It exists in all colleges. President Clinton was a member of a fraternity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/everybody-knows-that-fraternities-are-a-normal-culture-in-all/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) ## More by Hank Nuwer > [Hazing is an extraordinary activity that, when it occurs often enough, becomes perversely ordinary as those who engage in it grow desensitized to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-nuwer/hazing-is-an-extraordinary-activity-that-when-it-occurs-often-enough/) Hank Nuwer > [Few of us go through life without taking part in some kind of rite of passage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-nuwer/few-of-us-go-through-life-without-taking-part-in-some-kind-of-rite-of/) Hank Nuwer Explore all 3 Hank Nuwer quotes ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. 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Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. 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