A couple got into an argument right on a busy pedestrian street. The guy was really angry but didn’t want to yell at his girlfriend. So, he ended up slapping himself to release his frustration and calm down.
Seeing her boyfriend hit himself like that, the girlfriend softened and tried to stop him. One person was trying to punish himself, the other was preventing it. Passersby couldn’t help but misunderstand and thought the couple was fighting each other.
Sure enough, a man walking by saw this and assumed the guy was hitting his girlfriend. He jumped in, ready to “defend justice,” and without saying a word, he punched the “guy”.
The couple was stunned and confused by what just happened. The girlfriend quickly stepped in to stop the man from attacking her boyfriend.
After hearing the explanation, the man realized his mistake and felt embarrassed for getting involved without knowing the full story.
Seeing him apologize repeatedly, the young couple didn’t hold a grudge. In fact, they thanked him because his actions came from a good place. They said if there had really been violence, they would have been grateful for his help.
Many people think that although his intentions were good, his approach was awkward and misguided. If he had calmly asked what was going on instead of jumping straight to violence, things would have been very different. “Fighting for justice” but making a huge mistake just makes you look nosy, “well-meaning but clueless, enthusiastic but destructive.”
On the other hand, some netizens praised the man for standing up for what he thought was right and trying to help someone in trouble. Even though it was just a misunderstanding, they said he didn’t deserve harsh criticism.
“His actions would be praised if he handled it more appropriately instead of being so rough. The couple didn’t press charges, but the guy probably suffered unfairly from being punched out of nowhere.”
“Luckily the guy wasn’t seriously hurt, or else this good intention could have turned into a disaster.”
“Anyway, since the couple didn’t react negatively, the online community should let go of this mistake and focus on his good intentions.”
(Source: 163)
