Theatergoer praised as hero for smashing woman's cellphone

[GiaGiovanni]

171. Because that is what mature adults do, especially if they wanted to avoid assault charges

Sometimes, what seems fair is not what happens in life. Sometimes, we are forced to do a quick calculation: do we want to fight to win at all costs or do we want to retreat and live to fight another day?

Think of it this way. You're at an arcade with some friends. Two guys who are bigger and tougher than you are decide they want to use your arcade machine. Do you and your friends take them on, possibly get badly hurt or arrested? Or do you leave and let them have the machine? The first option would make you feel more pride and it would feel more "fair", like you were fighting for justice. On the other hand, you might end up with a broken jaw, damaged internal organs, or, if the police are called, you could end up with an arrest for assault. Let's say you have a job you want to keep, but the job requires you to not have an arrest on your record. Is it worth it to lose your job to make things feel fair?

Sometimes in life, we have to bend. We have to think of the long term ramifications, even when every cell in our body wants to demand justice and clobber the unjust. If the situation is dire enough or the cause important enough, we might take that kind of risk. But fighting over a theatrical show? You don't want to die on that hill. Let it go.

As far as the woman being grateful that she was physically approached and had her cell phone grabbed out of her hand and smashed to the ground, I think you're stretching it. No one would have taken the risk of slugging her over a cell phone. The legal costs of defending yourself alone make such an action not worth it. You don't die on a stupid hill. You wait until something is truly worth the risk of arrest.