Help/Support ► Why doesn't it feel like I did the right thing?

[Relix]

I'm not a violent person, not even much of an angry person. Guys have started fights with me over petty things like ex-girlfriends, bad-blood between friends, or something of the sort. These fights were usually with people I sort of knew or had seen on regular basis. But tonight was different.

Earlier tonight, coming out of my late class, two of my buddies and I were walking back to the parking lot, laughing about random sh*t and just being ourselves. We're crossing the street and two men, a little older than myself, though they looked around one of my buddy's age, are also crossing the street but walking towards us. Once they get close enough I realize that one of that was mumbling about something and before I knew it, I get hit on the side of my face. Didn't hurt at all, didn't even budge, but I immediately stop in the middle of crosswalk with the light now turning green for the cars to pass. My eldest friend, who is ex-Navy, turns to me and asks if I knew the two men and if confirmed if they hit me in the face. All I could do was nod and glare, because I have never been in this situation before. The only time I've ever fought was with acquaintances and said times were painfully predictable. But this was out of nowhere, out of left field, just flat out random. Anyways my buddy, the ex-Navy, drops his bag and is calling the guys over and all I could do was tell him to drop it. Like I was literally saying over and over "fuck it, fuck it, fuck it, its not worth it. drop it, fuck it." My friend leads them back in my direction and they're exchanging words, and I'm dreading the idea of fighting in the middle of the street with two strangers, talking about random gang shit. Again I'm telling my friend to forget it. Eventually he gives up on them, saying their drunk and to fuck off. This happened about 4 hours or so go.

After everything's said and done, I'm sitting here in the dark wondering why does it feel like I did something wrong? I'm the only one who walked away actually getting fucking hit and I just don't get it. My friend's a brawler, he's gotten into bar fights and has seen all types of stuff but idk, fighting in the middle of the street in the middle of campus with a couple of drunk idiots didn't feel right. But I can't seem to convince myself that I did the right thing. I've gone through the scenario dozens of times but nothing is making it go away. I've got the one guy's face burned into my head.

Is this natural?

 

[Taochan]

That douchebag totally deserved to get beat up but you did the right thing. You were the bigger person out of everyone involved and stopped the situation from escalating. Who knows what would have happened if you let your friend start a fight with them? It could have turned really ugly but you chose to walk away and saved everyone, including your friend and yourself, a lot of grief. It's bullshit it happened in the first place though and he's a diddlying asshole but you did do the right thing.

 

[Ulti]

If you play the knock out game, prepare to get yourself knocked out. This shit needs to stop.

 

[Relix]

That douchebag totally deserved to get beat up but you did the right thing. You were the bigger person out of everyone involved and stopped the situation from escalating. Who knows what would have happened if you let your friend start a fight with them? It could have turned really ugly but you chose to walk away and saved everyone, including your friend and yourself, a lot of grief. It's bullshit it happened in the first place though and he's a diddlying asshole but you did do the right thing.

It's just absolute bullshit that this happened, I mean, who does that. Talking a bunch of sh*t is normal but hitting someone right off that back with my back almost completely to him. Such bullshit. He would have gotten his ass beat, I could hear it in my friend's voice (I've only heard stories about his fighting but he looked ready). Walking away kept us from getting into deep crap but being the only one hit and letting those dicks just walk off with smug faces didn't sit right at all. I was a mess, on the inside of course, and it didn't feel fair. But you're right, it could have been worse if we fought in the middle of the street.

If you play the knock out game, prepare to get yourself knocked out. This shit needs to stop.

It really does but it won't. There's always going to be people like them. That "I let them get away with it" feeling is really strong afterwards too. I know violence isn't the answer, but this escalated rather quickly. I mean, sucker-punching? Who does that?