My dude, if I come to your house and start punching you in the face and you start punching back, are you now escalating the conflict? No. We’re already fucking brawling, and I started it.
I think the problem is what you consider an escalation. If someone slaps you in the face, you slapping them back is considered an escalation or proportional response? I think most would consider framing it as an escalation as a type of shifting the blame or changing the frame of events that minimize the responsibilities of the the guy that first slapped you.
I mean it’s definitely not a statement of right or wrong to suggest that taking a new, further step is an escalation above the previous situation.
My dude, if I come to your house and start punching you in the face and you start punching back, are you now escalating the conflict? No. We’re already fucking brawling, and I started it.
Sure, going from being a helpless victim to one fighting back is an escalation. Isn’t always a bad thing?
I think the problem is what you consider an escalation. If someone slaps you in the face, you slapping them back is considered an escalation or proportional response? I think most would consider framing it as an escalation as a type of shifting the blame or changing the frame of events that minimize the responsibilities of the the guy that first slapped you.