A tough one, this is the kind of discussion where there can be alot of talk and not much follow through. You can have all these visions about how you would respond, but when your faced with a violent situation, you may not have a control over your actions... sort of an extension of the "fight or flight" response.
It'd be nice to say that if another human was ever under threat or actually being laid into, you would coolly square up and call over in a deep and threatening voice to leave the poor sap alone
and if he turned to you threateningly, one blow of your mighty bone crushing fist would send him flying through a nearby brick wall. Then in true Hulk Hogan style you'd sling the fellow over your shoulder and troop to the nearest hospital.
But in my experiance this virtually never happens. In public places, where myself or when I'm with a group of friends and we've come under very obvious threat, most just proceed about their business in mock ignorance. Is it cowardice? No. It's natural and understandable, but certainly not admirable.
It is said in
Fight Club: "Most people - normal people - will do anything to avoid a fight."
If someone does come to the rescue, it is normally the last person in the world you'd expect. My earliest memorable experiance of violence (outside of the playground
) was when I was at the cinema with a friend. I was about 11/12 and at this youthful, exuberant age when you've just left the absolute protection and security of the mother's nest you think that all adults will be so protective. A bunch of kids got it in their heads they wanted to fight us, they had come from a much rougher area I suppose, and had probably watched their older brothers intimidate and bully other guys and wanted to give it a try on us. When one grabbed me round the neck and another threw a flimsy (yet at the time, shocking) punch at my face, the adults around us backed away
. I remember clearly a huge bloke with 18" pythons for arms, all hairy and tattooed drawing away his child and equally tattooed wife - wanting nothing to do with it. Perhaps he wanted to protect his family, but I would have thought the paternal instinct would encourage him to intervene
.
The only person to intervene was a kindly old grandmother-type lady from behind the ticket desk
. I remember it all so clearly as it was my first experiance with random, inexplicable "street" violence.
Similarly, a few weeks back in the pub. A few thugs were swearing overly loud (even for a pub environment - plus this was a nice restauranty type public house) so this bloke enjoying his food with his wife asks them to quieten down a bit. Before you know it, nice man-on-man brawl going on. Dozens of blokes surround them in biker jackets walkin-the-walk and talkin-the-talk... but who splits these two up? This adorable little 5'4" bloke (you know the sort
) who just dives between them.
I like to think in such situations I fall more on the side of the "fight" than flight response. Every violent situation I've been in I've done my best to be there in one shape or form; I don't rush to my friend's aid like a deranged rabid monkey, fists whirling and a suitable battle cry... but I stick with them. On one occasion these thugs had given the nod to me that I'm "orite"... but this mate of mine is a <insert suitable expletetive> bla bla bla. These guys were bigger than me, but I wasn't going to walk away like I could have done - I'd take my inevitable beating like a man if necessary (as it happens on that particular occasion we were saved miraculously by these cops - they have their uses).
While I've never been in the situation you asked about, I can only hope if it did arise I wouldn't do nothing and just saunter by. I'd like to think I'd intervene but my experiance is, you never know till you're there.
It is at the edge of danger, that a man discovers himself.
(or woman
)