How hard should I be allowed to hit this guy?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Which is exactly why he hit you back.

You are a lawyer and you think assaulting (or is it battery, I always forget) random people is a good idea?

22

Well, if you hit him again, seriously or not, I personally won’t think it weird if he smashes a bottle over your head. If you get hit with a criminal charge, and by some means your posts in this thread are introduced as evidence (indicating an intent to assault) and you get convicted and lose your law license, that won’t be weird at all.

Stupid and sad, but not weird.

23

John Wayne said it best in the shootist:

24

OK, I still think people are misunderstanding a few basic facts in the last few posts, so let me lay things out as clear as I can.

  1. I’m not a practicing attorney, nort have have I been - I have a law degree but never sat for the bar and don’t intend to; I did a joint JD/MBA and went the business route

  2. I have no intention of hunting this guy down and assaulting him - one of the main reasons that I didn’t retaliate when he hit me is that I have no interest in a legal battle - I’m just upset because I got punched in the face earlier tonight - it isn’t fun

  3. When I hit him - it was really, really un-aggressive - I don’t know how to put this in ways I haven’t before - the best comparison I can give is that it’s the same strength I would hit a guy on the shoulder at my job - which is to say that it absolutely wouldn’t leave a bruise or hurt
    for more than a few seconds . Yes, it was in the stomach but the damage intended or caused by it was zero, absolutely zero. I don’t know how to convey this to people who don’t josh around - but a lot of punches really don’t do anything at all - they’re noticeable - but they don’t hurt, or barely hurt at all.

25

You guys sound even to me. You hit him at the strength of your choice. He hit you back at the strength of his choice.

26

We understand this perfectly. It just doesn’t matter, and we don’t care.

27

I accept that this is true for you, but disagree that it is true for all.

eta: well, at least until my clarification

28

I don’t agree that it was an even thing. I hit him in way that was meant to cause zero harm - it literally could not have hurt him in any but the weirdest of circumstances - it’s the way friends mess around with each other, at most 2 or 3 seconds of a sting. He, on the other hand, tried to freakin kill me.

29

The tattoo artist plays a curious role in this story.

30

Seriously, you said in your OP you were basically unharmed. So let it go and don’t hit anyone else.

31

I’d consider yourself lucky. I don’t care how hard you meant to hit him or did hit him. If you took an unprovoked swing at me, you’d likely be picking up your teeth. I’m certainly not going to give a guy who just punched me another chance to take a swing at me.

32

Like I said, I’m not going to. Definitively will not. Am still pissed :slight_smile: and think it would be justified, even though I just wouldn’t.

33

Clearly he doesn’t have friends like you nor does he want friends like you. I tend to agree with him. I don’t need people who think taking play swings at me is a fun game.

34

Actually, yes. I don’t know him, but my friend Jordan - who has known Brett for around 4 years (i’ve only known him for about 6 months) - has known the tattoo guy, Mike, for a several years. The tat guy, Mike, is huge. Like 6’5" and probably 280 of solid muscle. As soon as Brett hit me, he said something to the effect of ‘stop that shit’ - don’t actually remember what exactly. Me and Jordan left. He asked Brett to stay - no idea what transpired between them when I left, but Jordan said that Mike had dealt with Brett before.

35

Maybe Brett hit you with 1/10 strength and if you keep it going he’ll hit you so hard you’ll be able to see the curvature of the Earth.

36

Still think you’re overestimating play swing, but I hear you. Some people want no physical contact at all. I never read him that way, and still wouldn’t. We’re talking about someone in their mid-twenties whose primary hobby is drinking.

37

Nope :slight_smile: Been in enough fights to tell the difference.

38

That’s not what happened. You hit him and he hit you back. Now you want to hit him again. What do you think he’ll do next?

39

You sound weak bro.

40

Like I said, I don’t intend to hit him again (I’d just like to at the moment). As to what will happen next, my guess is very little. Probably my friend JJ or Jordan playing peacemaker, if anything at all. My best bet is him being there when I get the tattoo in two weeks and buying me a beer afterward. And them me buying him a shot. And then words. And then hugs :slight_smile: