Pacifists, I have a question.

[TwiZtah]

I'm not an aggressive person at all and for the principles I can respect pacifism. But from an evolutionary/survival point of view, being attacked and not doing something about it is retarded unwise.

This

I'm a global-pacifist, I want war to stop. But if someone comes forth and punches me, I WILL hit back. That's what I have been learning the past 8 years in taekwon-do, don't instigate, but punch back if need be.

 

[DoPo]

To all the people saying you can just block them, you have clearly never had somebody attacking you. You could disable or restrain them, if you are very, very good, but if you aren't, you are just going to get beaten down, because you are holding yourself back, and they aren't.

I like how you clearly know everything about everybody. I was the first one who said blocking is an option. And I'd say, when I was attacked by ten people it worked quite well.

I know it's the internet and you can just go "Meh, it's BS" but let me add that those people were total morons.

Besides, if somebody doesn't know how to block properly, why do you think they'd be able to attack properly?

 

[orangeban]

I'd run away, I'm shit at fighting and would just get the shit beaten out of me. I'm quite good at escaping though.

 

[Vivi22]

I would generally refer to myself as a pacifist in the sense that I will attempt non-violent means to avoid or resolve conflicts before anything else. If someone attacked me and I can run away or talk my way out of it I'll do that. But if someone attacks me and I believe that those aren't an option, or if I feel my life is in legitimate danger (which I probably would if someone my size attacks me) then all bets are off. If I consider my life to be in danger then I will not only fight back, I'm going to use any force necessary to disable someone as quickly as possible. I will throw elbows at throats, the face, knee the groin, throw kicks at the knees, break elbows, tear ligaments, and if necessary, try to kill someone to defend myself. And the reality is that if you are being attacked, there is always the possibility of the attacker seriously or permanently injuring you, or even causing death whether that was their intent or not. Any attack should be taken seriously as though it could kill you.

It's all well and good to say you'll simply try to restrain someone, or get them in a lock and hold them there until they calm down and someone calls the police, but the reality is that real fights rarely work that way, and unless you're highly trained in that form of fighting and have drilled it 10,000 times and 10,000 different ways it's foolish to try. Simple, fast, effective, and brutal will be your best bet for walking away. Especially against multiple attackers where restraining one will not end anything. No vital area is ever of limits and every advantage should be exploited to make sure that you come out on top.

 

[Guardian of Nekops]

i wouldnt retaliate, id actually feel sorry for them

After about the tenth punch, though, it doesn't matter how much you pity them... standing there and taking it isn't an option unless you're built like a side of beef, so you have to do something.

As has been noted, though, there are plenty of ways to respond to this nonviolently, or at least non-lethaly... I think the OP might be missing the point. Being a pacifist doesn't mean you don't react to such things, it means you don't respond to them with violence. Running away, blocking, restraining, etc, are all allowed by certain forms of pacifism and perfectly valid options... all should serve unless you come across someone who's really pretty far gone, and armed.

Now, I wouldn't call myself a pacifist. I'm willing to kill, if I absolutely have to, but I have a feeling I'd spend enough time looking for another way, any other way, that I'd have hesitated too long and died. So not a pacifist... just too merciful to survive, probably. But I can live with that.

Until I don't, anyway. Beats killing an innocent.

 

[DkLnBr]

I would stand there getting punched in the face, making no attempt to block, talk, or flee. Because that's apparently what pacifists do

 

[Chairman Miaow]

To all the people saying you can just block them, you have clearly never had somebody attacking you. You could disable or restrain them, if you are very, very good, but if you aren't, you are just going to get beaten down, because you are holding yourself back, and they aren't.

I like how you clearly know everything about everybody. I was the first one who said blocking is an option. And I'd say, when I was attacked by ten people it worked quite well.

I know it's the internet and you can just go "Meh, it's BS" but let me add that those people were total morons.

Besides, if somebody doesn't know how to block properly, why do you think they'd be able to attack properly?

If by block you meant, "ran like hell", then sure, I believe you. If not, of course I'm going to think it's BS. Can you blame me? And if somebody really wants to hurt you, it's not as simple as just blocking. They can grab you, they will throw in their knees and elbows, they'll try and throw you down, they could grab something and use it as a weapon. You can't block everything. Nobody could.

 

[DoPo]

To all the people saying you can just block them, you have clearly never had somebody attacking you. You could disable or restrain them, if you are very, very good, but if you aren't, you are just going to get beaten down, because you are holding yourself back, and they aren't.

I like how you clearly know everything about everybody. I was the first one who said blocking is an option. And I'd say, when I was attacked by ten people it worked quite well.

I know it's the internet and you can just go "Meh, it's BS" but let me add that those people were total morons.

Besides, if somebody doesn't know how to block properly, why do you think they'd be able to attack properly?

If by block you meant, "ran like hell", then sure, I believe you. If not, of course I'm going to think it's BS. Can you blame me? And if somebody really wants to hurt you, it's not as simple as just blocking. They can grab you, they will throw in their knees and elbows, they'll try and throw you down, they could grab something and use it as a weapon. You can't block everything. Nobody could.

I walked off, actually. And they tried to follow and attack from behind. I only sort of shoved them aside as they flailed around. One tried to jump kick me. See, batting him aside was really effective, as he fell on his knee.

As I said, I'm a fairly big guy - I was 15 at the time and was 1.85m/90kg. Against a bunch of hyperactive idiots weighting 60kg each or so.

But that time I just didn't want to get in trouble as I was on school ground (and it wasn't even my school), so I tried to calmly walk off towards the exit. That's why I chose not to hit them. Even though they were known to be imbeciles, I didn't want to take my chances with the school. They didn't follow me outside, though.

But I don't think hitting ends a fight. Making people incapable of hitting ends it. Hence why restraining the opponent is a better option. Blocking can only give them a chance to stop now, it's like a warning shot. That's how I use it.

 

[General BrEeZy]

hell yeah! i could use a real fight in my life for once!

 

[Psykoma]

im not a pacifist (quite the oppersite, im actually was hoping to do a tour with the infantry with Afghanistan before we pull out, mad as it sounds to you) but considering that even budist monks feel the need to learn how to defend themselves and given basic human nature(fight or flight, anger, adrenaline, survival instinct e.c.t) my question is that although in an ideal situation you wouldn't hit back do you really think that you could stick to it? what if you were fearing for your life or were being beaten to the point of serious, long-lasting damage, or if it was the same person who beat you repeatability, at what point do you shoot the **** hit back as a way of defending yourself (which lets face it is the best way of defending yourself, unless you happen to be good at Brazilian ju-jitsu or something)

Only honest answer I could give to that is I don't honestly know.

The closest I was to an actual fight was a dozen and a half guys throwing things at me, and twice trying to shove me while I was walking down a street. (They were pretty drunk and/or high, all attacks missed). There was no way in hell I was trying to defend, much less go on the offensive on that many people, I just turned into the first open store and stayed there for a while.

 

[Xanthious]

Eh not an issue for me. I have a concealed carry permit and live in a stand your ground state so if anyone comes up and randomly attacks me I'm not going to fuck around trying to run or talking about their feelings I'm going to shoot them until I'm good and damn sure they are no longer a threat.

 

[Rastien]

Okay so I've been lurking around these forums for a while now and there seems to be a fair few pacifists on here so I'd like to ask you all something.

If a single person, of the same height and build as you, were to hit you, and continue to hit you repeatedly, would you hit them back?

If the answer is no due to fear, I'm not interested, if however the answer is no due to restraint and beliefs, could you explain that to me?

If someone is hitting you, why wouldn't you hit back? What gives them the right to hit you? And why shouldn't you defend yourselves?

Let's try to keep this civil people

I consider myself to be a pacifist, but when it comes down to self defense thats a different story.

I'm not sure of the "rules" persé of pasifiscm but i don't believe countrys and millitary fighting i would hope in this day and age could be done away with. But realistically theres always gonna be some prick pointing a gun at someone or without guns pointy sticks.

How i carry myself is what i believe makes me a pacifist, i will never throw the first punch and will always try to seek other ways to defuse a situation. With that said by no means will i let someone beat me up because i disapprove, you gotta take care of yourself.

Oddly enough i play rugby and love the bloody sport, reason why? because when the match is over, ITS OVER. What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch and you shake hands, laugh and drink with the guy in the bar not 45 minutes ago you were stamping on.

(off topic but the reason why i love rugby over football is i made some guy look like a chimp on the football pitch ran circles around him, on the way out of the changing rooms he beat the shit out of me. Never heard of this happening in my local rugby legues yet theres still bannings and reports of it from the local football legue )

So i would be all for settling disputes with a nice game of rugby or boxing #insert sport here# where nobody ends up dead :/

 

[Xanthious]

Eh not an issue for me. I have a concealed carry permit and live in a stand your ground state so if anyone comes up and randomly attacks me I'm not going to fuck around trying to run or talking about their feelings I'm going to shoot them until I'm good and damn sure they are no longer a threat.

Out of curiosity, could you actually shoot someone who wasn't carrying a weapon themselves?

In a red hot second. I mind my own business. I promise, I'm not walking around looking for people to shoot. However, if someone wants to attack me or break into my home or some other such thing I'm not waiting around to find out if they have a weapon. Whether they are armed or not isn't going to even enter into my mind. I'm going to assume the worst and protect myself accordingly. If criminals don't want to be shot during while committing crimes they shouldn't commit crimes.

 

[Rastien]

Eh not an issue for me. I have a concealed carry permit and live in a stand your ground state so if anyone comes up and randomly attacks me I'm not going to fuck around trying to run or talking about their feelings I'm going to shoot them until I'm good and damn sure they are no longer a threat.

Out of curiosity, could you actually shoot someone who wasn't carrying a weapon themselves?

In a red hot second. I mind my own business. I promise, I'm not walking around looking for people to shoot. However, if someone wants to attack me or break into my home or some other such thing I'm not waiting around to find out if they have a weapon. Whether they are armed or not isn't going to even enter into my mind. I'm going to assume the worst and protect myself accordingly. If criminals don't want to be shot during while committing crimes they shouldn't commit crimes.

What happens if you accidentally kill them? like shot in the head by accident? UK dude here and its abit of a grey area sometimes you get off fine but other times you can go to prison for man slaughter

 

[phantasmalWordsmith]

Depends on the situation in all fairness.

If I feel threatened, such as being punched in the face, I'll defend myself as best I can though I know in all odds it won't matter because I'm not that strong. If I feel safe, being punched in the arm for example, I'll just ignore them or ask them to stop. It works 9/10. People are nice like that.

I know pacifism isn't a situational thing so I won't say I'm one, but I will say that I still dislike being a part of violence and will leave it to those that can handle it better.

 

[Xanthious]

Eh not an issue for me. I have a concealed carry permit and live in a stand your ground state so if anyone comes up and randomly attacks me I'm not going to fuck around trying to run or talking about their feelings I'm going to shoot them until I'm good and damn sure they are no longer a threat.

Out of curiosity, could you actually shoot someone who wasn't carrying a weapon themselves?

In a red hot second. I mind my own business. I promise, I'm not walking around looking for people to shoot. However, if someone wants to attack me or break into my home or some other such thing I'm not waiting around to find out if they have a weapon. Whether they are armed or not isn't going to even enter into my mind. I'm going to assume the worst and protect myself accordingly. If criminals don't want to be shot during while committing crimes they shouldn't commit crimes.

What happens if you accidentally kill them? like shot in the head by accident? UK dude here and its abit of a grey area sometimes you get off fine but other times you can go to prison for man slaughter

Accidentally kill them !?!? Lets not mince words here if I'm shooting at someone it's to kill them. If I'm attacked on the street or in my home I'm within my full legal rights to shoot and kill the attacker. Again, I'm not out there looking for a reason to shoot someone. However, if someone wants to attack me or break into my home they've made their choice and I will protect myself to the fullest extent of the law. Again, if criminals don't want to be killed while committing crimes then maybe they shouldn't commit crimes.