I've never agreed with that idea -- even though (or perhaps because) the USMC and Parris Island in 1949 had a lot that going on...

I agree with the stress early on but that can best be provided by challenging them to do much more than they believe they can and by forcing them to THINK -- it'll be a novel experience for some. Maybe most...

I've been through Boot Camp and three other courses where idle harassment and just doing what one was told were the norm. The intent was to provide stress, similar to combat -- it does not, it's just harassment to scare people into not asking questions because they take time to answer, makes life easier for the Instructor or Cadre. I've been through others that allowed, even encouraged, thinking and the Cadre mentored rather than 'smoked' people. No doubt in my mind in which type all us students learned more...

What if instead of making people afraid to ask questions, we encouraged them to ask -- and told them in peacetime and in training WHY we wanted them to do something. Then they'd learn (a) there was a good reason to do it; (b) to think it through themselves; and (c) to do what was told without explanrtions when there was no time for explanations...

That works and I never had a problem with it, peacetime or combat. For many years, I told a lot of young (and a few old) NCOs "I've never seen a pushup get a weapon clean or teach a kid what to do in a firefight."

Still haven't.