7. A Cut Above

Image Credit

The tribes that live along the Sepik River in Papua, New Guinea, subject young men to a gruelingly painful rite of passage called scarification. In order to be considered a man, they must subject themselves to having their bodies cut along their chest, back and buttocks in a pattern that looks like the skin of a crocodile. In addition, he must hold up under a withering dose of humiliation that can last for weeks. During that time, he may be referred to as a female as part of the process used to psychologically toughen his resolve.