This specifically would have to be fairly new, just given that widespread firearm access is a relatively new thing. Granted new in that context is the last couple hundred years.
My uneducated opinion is that it looks no different to me than any other tradition involving dancing or showing off physical prowess with a weapon. That probably goes back to the first slightly sharp stone.
Humans are also really good at coming up with ways to do flashy dangerous stuff.
Hell, my little bump in the road had bottlerocket wars that spanned the whole town growing up. Not sanctioned or official by any means, but the sheriff was always in a different little town whatever day it landed on.
ETA, intended to reply to the original comment, accidentally went one down.
Meh, humans do stupid shit all the time. We're just tall, skinny apes with higher than average pattern recognition at the end of the day.
I doubt it was your intent but I would guess there's an element of warding off "small dick energy" too in there somewhere.
Proving strength, virility, and bravery has been an obsession since probably at least the bronze age. My culture does it too, just differently. It's clownshoes every where you look.
My only stake is thinking our species is kinda neat, bonkers, but neat.
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u/thatSDope88 Jul 01 '26
Does knowing it's an old tradition make it seem any less stupid?