Can Violence be Justified?

Violence comes in many forms, and it is not always considered evil. If you think about it, we have all fantasized of killing or hurting someone at some point in life. Perhaps creating a blood bath or having control over a person’s life is among our guilty pleasures. We adore the television and film drama that romanticizes violent crimes like homicides and assault. All crimes that harm human life should be deemed brutal, but we label many of them as ‘crimes of passion’. We have proudly rooted for the villain who is a psychotic killer, because his/her actions sprout from emotional damage. We are eager to support the underdog because life was unfair to them; a murder or two on their hands doesn’t make them a bad person, right?

Aggression needs an Outlet

Anger and suppressed rage are key triggers of violence. Destruction usually proves to be an effective tool for releasing aggression. Breaking/smashing an object, shredding something to pieces, burning an article to ashes, or hitting a target, are a few ways we deal with fury and calm ourselves down. I believe a person feels at ease when he/she transmits the pain within them onto something or someone. The inanimate object you demolished represents the anguish inside you and so it feels like you have defeated it. In reality, you satisfied the monster within you, so it would go back to sleep.

We are Restrained by the Legal System

People who vent their wrath on a living thing are doing the same, but it looks worse. Unfortunately, some of us cannot suppress the urge to kill and wrecking something lifeless does not content the soul. Have you ever wondered why the world looks forward to a zombie apocalypse? It will simply give everyone the opportunity to exercise violence without feeling guilty or facing any legal consequences. Imagine a world without any law and order; it would be an open battlefield resembling the ‘hunger games’, except that nobody in particular makes the rules.

The Breaking Point

We are all surrounded by people we don’t like or despise. It could be a sibling who always gets what you want, a coworker who takes credit for your hard work, a parent who never cared for you, a person at school who constantly bullies you, an annoying neighbor, or a friend who treats you like a foe. One might think they deserve to die, and even feel glad when something bad happens to them. Confrontation is always hard or a bad idea because you know it will only further deteriorate your position. It is sheer luck if you are able to distance yourself from the source of your violent tendencies; otherwise, there is a chance that you act upon your vile whims, sooner or later.

Violence begets Violence

Violence appears to be justified if neither party is playing victim. A person slaps their partner, and he/she in turn punches them in the gut. They both laugh it off and it sparks intimacy between them. It sounds bizarre, but that is the central plot of many award winning books and movies today. If two entities are violating each other with mutual consent, it becomes a love story. What one perceives as violence may fascinate or appeal to somebody else. Moreover, there seems to be nothing wrong with using violence to punish someone who did you wrong.