The way of challenges: the phenomenon of voluntary participation in stressful situations in the case of hitchhikers

This article analyzes hitchhiking as a stressful situation. Long hitchhiking (more than 1000 km) is almost certainly associated with physical and emotional stress (lack of sleep, sense of risk, high level of unpredictability, a sharp change of the daily routine, unfamiliar environment etc.) We are interested in the motivation that prompts people to such activities. When we talk about stress management techniques, most often it means overcoming the negative effects of distress. But what if the way to increase personal stress - resistance includes stressful situations as a training ground? Intention to maintain a balance of physiological and mental state and to avoid disturbing factors is natural and evolutionary justified. This reaction is typical for humans along with other animal species. However, in some cases, we can observe a deviation from this pattern. There are persons really willing to put themselves in stressed way. This article contains a pilot review and problem statement using the case of Russian hitchhikers. Based on the analysis of written and oral reports, we have highlighted the main components of hitchhiking motivation as well as some important characteristics of this subculture. We also found that hitchhiking and initiation ritual looks similar in some points. From this perspective the stressful situation is considered as a kind of challenge, aimed at strengthening identity and transition to a new social role.