The last time I got into a fight.

There have been quite a few times in the past when I’ve found myself getting into physical fights with my friends. The most memorable one, happened with one of my roommates. It’s the kind of thing I look back on now and wonder why it even happened, but back then, it felt serious.

So, here’s what happened: I was sitting on his bed in our room, just chilling, when he walked in and told me to get up. He didn’t ask nicely either; his tone was rude, and it immediately annoyed me. I mean, this guy sits on my bed almost every day without a word from me, so it felt hypocritical for him to be making a big deal out of me sitting on his bed for a few minutes. Because of that, I refused to get up, and that’s where things started to go downhill.

Instead of just letting it go, he started insulting my parents, which is kind of his go-to move when he’s irritated. He’s known for throwing insults at people’s families whenever he’s in a bad mood, and everyone in the room knows it. But this time, it struck a nerve. The fact that he was insulting my parents over something so trivial and doing it in front of everyone made me feel disrespected. I stayed on his bed, refusing to leave, while he kept throwing insults at me, trying to get under my skin.

Unfortunately, instead of calming things down, the other guys in the room were egging him on, cheering for him and encouraging a fight. They were enjoying the drama, hyping him up, and trying to push us both over the edge. At one point, he grabbed a belt and hit me on the leg. That was it for me—I didn’t like that at all. So, I pushed him in the face, and things got serious quickly.

As my anger rose, I could feel myself getting dangerously close to a point where I’d lose control. I grabbed him by the neck and was ready to punch him in the face. But, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about the consequences. I knew that if we got into a real fight and the hostel masters found out, I’d be in huge trouble. They’d probably send me home for an entire semester, which woul delay my graduation. I’d be stuck with an extra year, all because of one heated moment. I didn’t want that for myself. So, even though my friends were mocking me and calling me foolish for not taking it further, I pulled myself back. I ignored their taunts because I knew that going too far wasn’t worth the risk.

Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t let things spiral out of control. It wasn’t just about the consequences with the school; it was also about proving something to myself. My roommate was obviously afraid to push it any further as well—I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He knew that if it came down to a serious fight, I wouldn’t hold back. So, in a strange way, we both backed off.

I realized that sometimes, it’s better to let go of a fight before it goes too far, even if it means others see you as weak. At the end of the day, I’d rather be called foolish than jeopardize my future over a moment of anger.

Thanks to @galenkp for this topic.