Why do people always say, "I would have done so-and-so" when

[raccoon]

they hear a story?

For instance, if they heard some man was attacked by a dozen rabid Republicans. They'll say, "Well, I would've kung fu'd all of them the way that dude did in some kung fu movie I saw ages ago, and then I'd have just walked off down the road."


They don't know what they would have done. Nobody ever knows what they would have done until they have been in a given situation.

[KharmaTrain]

1. Just Like With The Right to "Protect" Themselves...

I always get a kick out of the Rambos who feel they need to be armed to the teeth to "protect" themselves. Then in the dead of night someone breaks into the house and gets the upper hand on the poor shmuck. Does he say "excuse me while I get my gun"? Or even if he keeps it on the nightstand or under the pillow that any sudden movement won't be their last? But it makes them feel "safe" in a paranoid kinda way.

[mrcheerful]

2. Ego, the big he man thing. 99% of the time they are the ones who run to the

police over the least little thing. Wanna be tough guys crack me up.

[raccoon]

6. My experience too. And there are wannabe tough women too. nt

[RoccoR5955]

3. I dunno, I HAVE been attacked by gazillions of rabid Cons,

and I find that the best "weapon," is the TRUTH. They either slink away, or can't handle it.

I understand your concern, and a lot of people like to use force. I have found that force just alienates people. You have to use facts.

I tend to avoid physical altercations at all costs, by use of the truth. I have never, in my 54 years been physically attacked for telling the truth.

So I think that you should clarify what you mean when you say "attacked." Physical or verbal. They are two separate things. If an armed mob starts to come at me, the best thing to do is to walk away. Physical violence only lowers you to their level.

I have been in many situations, and non-violence and truth is always what I find works the best. So I DO know what I would do in most any situation.

[raccoon]

4. In this case, I meant a physical attack. I thought of saying a dozen angry gorillas, or rabid

Ruritanians, but just thought Republicans would fit here better.

I was trying to use a silly example to show what I meant.

[liberal N proud]

5. Hind sight is 20/20

[hedgehog]

7. It's a way of rehearsing future actions should you ever be confronted with a similar situation.

Having heard the story of Kitty Genovese and the later analysis that people in a crowd are paralyzed by the notion that someone else will take action, I always try to take responsibility to do something when someone is in trouble. It might be nothing more than helping someone who has stumbled over a curb, but I try.