What the hell is it with people who want to start fights?

[anarch]

I mean actual, physical fights...in bars, in the street. People who do their damndest to provoke violence. Do they just have self-esteem problems or something? A death-wish? Some jackass very nearly got me so pissed off that I would have taken him up on it just recently...I didn't fight him, but I sure wanted to in the heat of things. Luckily I had the sense to just walk away, but it was close.

Why would someone just provoke a fight, with some total stranger about whose capabilities or viciousness they couldn't possibly have any idea? I remember seeing a "fight" a long time ago between a friend of mine and some idiot who started provoking, and then actually threw the first punch...my friend being a former boxer and wrestler, the guy ended up lying in the gutter with a detached eyebrow and probably a concussion and some broken ribs after less than a minute. We had to pull my friend off before he stomped the asshole to death. Why would anyone want and basically ask for that?

[XemaSab]

1. Washington DC just sucks

:popcorn:

(not really :P )

[anarch]

5. well, we do have a disproportionate number of total jackasses

Especially at certain Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Ave. (or Observatory Circle) addresses that I can think of....

[ohiosmith]

2. You talking to me?

[MissMillie]

3. absolutely self-esteem issues

They're not "big" unless they can make someone else feel small.

[Midlodemocrat]

4. Two words.

Pepper spray.

[anarch]

6. meh...I can still run pretty fast when I need to

and I can kick pretty hard, too, if it comes down to it. Most of the time you can just walk away from an idiot, anyway. I'm not talking about muggers, just idiots who want to be in a fight.

[Midlodemocrat]

7. I know. I was just kidding.

There does seem to be a lot of hostility out there these days, doesn't there? Even road rage is way up. Makes you wonder.

[unpossibles]

8. I have never understood that either

I hate fighting, and will kick your ass if you disagree! ;)

seriously though, I have an older/bigger/meaner brother and after being beaten for the first half of my life, I learned how to defend myself and found out that I enjoy martial arts, but still think fighting is for people too stupid to use words. I will defend myself or my loved ones if absolutely necessary, but you know what? It never happens because I know how to either defuse a situation or walk away. Ironically, I could break someone's arm if they swung at me, and maybe that confidence keeps it from happening, and frankly would rather be called a "pussy" than have to do so. Big deal.

too many people have such thin skins and quick tempers and think violence is the first response, and frankly I am so sick of it, and it seems to be getting worse.

And is it necessary to say that most of the almost fights I have seen lately have been started by Freepers with one exception (a punk kid who thought he was being anti-establishment until I pointed out that he was acting exactly like all the frat boy meat heads he hates).

[txwhitedove]

9. Some people are just angry inside for whatever reason, sometimes

just their own sick mind. I don't understand provoking period. Why would you want to poke your fellow man with a sharp stick, real or verbal? Why would that be pleasurable?

[MadHound]

My experience

I'm a big guy, 6'5", 260(mostly)non-fat pounds. I've always been one of the bigger guys, throughout school, college and adulthood. And one thing that I've noticed is that there is a group of short males who absolutely, positively have to pick a fight with the big guy. My suspicion is that there are some serious insecurity and self esteem problems with these people.

And while this has diminished greatly as I've gone into middle age, when I was younger it sucked. I got tired as hell with some scrawny little guy trying to prove his manhood by taking me on. I didn't ask for this. Don't you realize what, exactly you're getting into fool?

Like I said, it has diminished greatly with age, but I still think it's a matter of insecurity and self esteem.

[MadHound]

10. My experience

I'm a big guy, 6'5", 260(mostly)non-fat pounds. I've always been one of the bigger guys, throughout school, college and adulthood. And one thing that I've noticed is that there is a group of short males who absolutely, positively have to pick a fight with the big guy. My suspicion is that there are some serious insecurity and self esteem problems with these people.

And while this has diminished greatly as I've gone into middle age, when I was younger it sucked. I got tired as hell with some scrawny little guy trying to prove his manhood by taking me on. I didn't ask for this. Don't you realize what, exactly you're getting into fool?

Like I said, it has diminished greatly with age, but I still think it's a matter of insecurity and self esteem.

[Taverner]

11. Fighting makes you feel alive

But then again, I haven't been in a fistfight since college.

And the last one I was in, I had my ass handed to me by a redneck.

[anarch]

12. I sort of understand that...but people should take up boxing or something

I mean, getting shot at makes you feel alive too, until you get hit...then it just makes you feel shot.

[Taverner]

13. Very true

I'm not saying it's a wise direction for your life...just saying why people might do it.

I was young, dumb and angry at one time in my life....that contributed to my wanting to start fights.