Why we crave rites of passageFrom bullet ants to birthdays, the need to mark adulthood.

From the show

Why We Do That

Coming-of-age ceremonies publicly signal a person's new role in society. This episode contrasts cultures with elaborate, painful rituals against those where adulthood is a gradual process. These events reinforce community values by formally integrating young people into the adult world. It’s why graduations and big birthdays feel so significant—we still need clear moments that tell us, and everyone else, that we’ve officially grown up.