Comment by adolph

Isn't everyone oppressed by their culture in one way or another? An essential part of culture is to reward collaborators and punish defectors. One of the unique aspects of some Amish communities is their cultural exit option.

The Amish count on the rumspringa process to inoculate youth against the strong pull of the forbidden by dosing them with the vaccine of a little worldly experience. Their gamble is also based on the notion that there is no firmer adhesive bond to a faith and way of life than a bond freely chosen, in this case chosen after rumspringa and having sampled some of the available alternative ways of living.

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=545557...