Rites of Passage

Google’s dictionary defines a rite of passage as, “a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone’s life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.”  I think this is a very serviceable definition.

One thing missing from our modern society is a complete set of these. Yes, we have marriage, divorce, birth, birthdays and funerals/wakes. But some of the most important of these events are not recognized in modern society. They were very much part of traditional societies.

I should think that a Celebration Society would benefit from also recognizing these events: puberty, formation of a new House/family corporation, First Recognition (the first time one is acknowledged in a city-state wide celebration for one’s service), induction into the Royalty, becoming a resident, becoming an adult, renewing of marriage vows, adoption into a family, and others–most importantly, becoming a Citizen.

Some rites of passage would be brief and private; others lengthy and public. Each would be designed by the Citizens as a whole to be appropriate to the needs and desires of the society; excepting those that are very private in nature, which would be designed by those involved (possibly using model examples from previous such events, as those participating may wish to share their libraries.) I envision the Royalty as developing a Rite of Passage for those inducted; perhaps something to finally integrate one’s shadows.

The Oath of Office for a Citizen would be brief yet poignant, coming as the completion of a long, arduous journey in which the person’s character would be tested and found worthy. The entire Rite of Passage for Citizenship would, it seems to me, likely include something like this:

Begins with a resident who is of age (perhaps 25, as that is when the brain matures), or who has special judicial exemption, formally petitioning the Parliament. This is the Application Stage.

Parliament reviews these applications either as they come in or in batches. (It may delegate this process.) Each receives either Approved or Not Yet as a response. The latter comes with remedial preparation recommendations. The former comes with an agenda for the Candidate Citizen to follow. This will include some particular service(s) the person is to do, usually as part of a team. Such services will be those that Parliament has deemed important to the society or in service to another Celebration Society, perhaps one in its formative stages. This is the Service Stage. I would envision this Stage extending over months, though it will be a community decision.

Upon completion of the Service Stage, the participants evaluate each other. Those directly affected by the service also evaluate them, and Parliament or its representatives (advisors, who accompany the Candidate Citizens in their service or at least regularly check in and available for consultation) does so as well. This is a formal process, which may be either anonymous or not. At the end of this Stage, each Candidate Citizen is either Passed or given a grade of Needs Review. If Needs Review is the result, they would have to repeat this Stage. If Passed, they would move on to the next stage.

The next Stage, which might immediately follow the Service Stage or might be offered on a periodic basis, would be the Community Stage. This is by far the toughest Stage. Here, the Candidate Citizens are taken to live in primitive conditions for a period of time, perhaps a week, as a group. They are provided with minimal tools, clothing (or the means to make clothing), and the means to find or build shelter. Food is available, but may require significant gathering, preparation and even the figuring out of clues to find a stash or a source. Temperatures and precipitation may be challenging.

In this stage,  the group would determine its own leaders and structure. It would determine if there were time only for survival activities or also some fun and games. (Possible games would be suggested by advisors.) There would be team building exercises, such as those on PSI 7, guided by the advisors, who would accompany the group. In quiet time, each participant would be expected to read and re-read the Charter until they had it memorized.

If the people fail to cooperate, fail to work hard and long hours, or fail to uphold community principles, they will fail together. Some may become sick. On rare occasions, someone may die–though medical care and evacuation will be standing by. The point is that these people will experience, for once in their lives, the kinds of unremitting harsh conditions that many of our ancestors survived through backbreaking work, fear and pain. In so doing, they will learn their own characters and those of their neighbors at a depth and clarity not otherwise available. The point is that people who survive this test will be ready to accept the mantle of Citizenship, with all of its benefits, and also to cherish the duties that accompany the office.

Also, a nation-state ruled by people who will never forget the hard lives of their ancestors is a nation-state that will never take for granted its own prosperity, ease of life, and celebration.

At the end of the Community Stage, the survivors will evaluate each other. It may be private, public or both; a decision that Parliament will make and evolve. They will be asking themselves one question, ruthlessly: is this a person I would trust with my life, and the lives of my dear ones? They ask this of each fellow participant in turn, followed by asking it of themselves. The goal is to find objectivity through group process.

Those who fail this stage will be invited to repeat it, after a suitable rest period. They may also be required to repeat the Service Stage, if there is a consensus that such would be important. The Citizen’s Rite of Passage is guided by this motto: Character is Destiny.

The goal of all this is simple. When a group of Candidate Citizens stands together, dressed in their finery, palms upheld in front of a Supreme Court Justice or a member of the Royalty, that they will swear their Oath of Office together, without fear or hesitation–confident, joyous, eager, and prepared to be Citizens of a Celebration Society; proud to be pioneers of a new world.

(An example of an abundance-based society that is missing such a Rite of Passage for Citizenship is The Mandalorian, Season 3, Episode 6. Aside: it shows robots displaying emotions that robots will almost certainly not feel. We need to remember that robots are and always will be dumb boxes, governed by essentially non-corporeal AIs.)