Why do we distinguish verbal and physical abuse?

**Ristaron** · 11-30-2006, 09:40 PM

An unfortunate event tonight brought to mind a blog I had made earlier in the week. I'll spare you the entire thing, but I will bring up the main points.

If someone calls you fat (with malicious intent), and you punch them in the face, I don't think either person has done any worse. Hell, in medieval Scotland if someone insulted your honour, and you put a sword through their chest, nobody would hold it against you. In fact, you would probably be applauded.

So why is it these days that when someone calls you fat (this being an example), your consequence-free choices are limited to 1. ignore them 2. call them retarded (another example)?

Either form is an assault on the person, and responding with force may just be the only reciprocation the audacious individual would understand to mean that they shouldn't fuck with you.

Everybody deserves a fundamental level of respect. Only if someone earns it should they get more, but NOBODY has to earn the respect they should have by right of being an individual.

In my books, a remark that unintentionally offends should be let go of, but one that is intended should - by all rights, be met with appropriate force. I believe that if someone intentionally punches you (to hurt you), you should punch them back twice. Once for assaulting your person, and once to drill it home that what they did was wrong.

Personally, I don't get upset over words, but I do get offended. And sometimes a punch is more appropriate than a quip.

Anyways, opinions?

Agonized Bliss · 11-30-2006, 10:03 PM

Well there is a lot of loop holes in that, as so what is appropriate force and how much of it is necessary for what was done?

Like for me you can all you want all i am going to do is call you a name back.

But as soon as you start invading my personal space or hit me i am going to do my best to kill you with a fist or any object around me. That is just me not say i am psychopath or anything but that is just my reaction to voilence and it's not very good.

That is how appropriate force is hard to manage at least for me and maybe for a lot of other people

**Ristaron** · 11-30-2006, 10:07 PM

Yeah, that's what I had forgotten to cover as well.

Minimum force being enough to leave a mark. I want them to think about how stupid they were when they look in a mirror and see the bruise.

I'm personally very cruel to people who assault me. If they threw a punch without any need, I would incapacitate them, then cut their achilles tendons so they are forever bound to a wheelchair.
Unless killing them would be easier, in which case that would be my course of action.

Kristyn · 11-30-2006, 11:23 PM

i dont know; im a pacifist and am against all forms of violence.

but idk, im still a little drunk. i cant really thinka bout it.

maybe ill give a better response to this tomorrow. ahah

**Ristaron** · 11-30-2006, 11:30 PM

I'm looking at it from a point of view of 'the right to', not the appropriate response for 'if...'

Kristyn · 12-01-2006, 12:07 AM

yes, yes i suppose you do, or should, have the right to. although i personally would not.

JuLi · 12-01-2006, 12:18 AM

I personally have a "if you hit me, i'll hit you back twice as hard" thing. And everyone knows it.

I mean words dont really get to me as much as they used to. I have self respect and i know i am a worth person. And if they dont see that... fuck off ya know.

**Ristaron** · 12-03-2006, 08:43 PM

...the question is still not being answered.

'Words don't hurt me' is beside the point. The question was 'why do we distinguish between verbal and physical abuse?'

Both are a form of assault, why can't both be responded to in the same way?

Words don't hurt me either, they just offend me. All the same, if someone who was too weak to do any lasting damage to me was wailing his fists in my direction, I wouldn't hesitate to hospitalize him.
Why? Two reasons:
1) He then is isolated from doing it to any other people.
2) He perhaps learns a life lesson that it is unacceptable to assault someone else.

h0lly_sh3llsh0ck · 12-03-2006, 08:57 PM

cause we evolved from monkys?

GRAMMAR!

I R DANIEL (Sin · 12-03-2006, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuLi

I personally have a "if you hit me, i'll hit you back twice as hard" thing. And everyone knows it.

I mean words dont really get to me as much as they used to. I have self respect and i know i am a worth person. And if they dont see that... fuck off ya know.

lol i have "if you hit me, i break a beer bottle over your head", which i've done lol.

where i live, there's alot of people who talk big, but dont back it up. so i end up getting in a lot of fights. i've had many insults thrown at me, especially since i'm a minority living in a heavly upperclass white area. so i've been in plenty of bruhahas.

it really depends on the mood i'm in, and what is said. i'll either brush it off my shoulder, or go to war. but usually i'll use a "quip" to begin with, and everyone will start laughing and he'll look like an idiot.