Musafar is perhaps one of the most famous Modern Primitives of our time. What began with the piercing of his penis at thirteen years, has grown into a systematic exploration of the limits of the body, through rituals from different cultures and times. Musafar is a good example of someone who has turned to other rituals to shape his identity, for while leaving behind mainstream society in this one way, he participates in it on most other levels. He is a successful advertising executive and illustrates that most of the people seriously involved in self- defined rituals are not wholly alienated from the norm of society. By looking at Musafar's life and others like him, through an Eriksonian perspective, one can begin to grasp a personal, though not inclusive view of this process.
Adolescence is the time of shaping individual identity.
Our society is permeated with such ceremonies. Though they may differ slightly from individual to individual, their existence is indisputable. One need only look at one of the top selling books in the last few years, to grasp a sense of the void that has been left by today's technological society in yet another a generation of individuals. As with Copeland's social commentary more and more people are also choosing not to take part in the traditional wedding ceremonies set forth by our culture, but are rather creating their own rituals to mark the development of the ego strength of love. While these ceremonies may not be on the same level as Musafar's, they contain the same kernel of disdain with society and search for individuality through unique self-definition.