question

[flamingsword]

I was having an argument the other day (with hellocobweb) about how almost all people don't consider violence beautiful. If I agreed with that, I'd have no reason to remark on it. Even though there is an art to violence, the martial arts are only considered beautiful until their aftermath. Or something. It's hard to express the feeling I have toward violence without giving off the really really wrong idea, but I'm chasing this down, and when I run it to ground, I'm going to have something cool here. I can feel it. Or if not cool then important somehow.

What do you guys think of violence? Be as long-winded and argumentative as you feel like.

Comments

[nikolas-boole.livejournal.com]

The UCCP Trusts Merriam Webster to give opinions until time is allocated for human review.

Main Entry: vi·o·lence
Pronunciation: 'vI-l&n(t)s, 'vI-&-
Function: noun
1 a : exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse (as in warfare effecting illegal entry into a house) b : an instance of violent treatment or procedure
2 : injury by or as if by distortion, infringement, or profanation : OUTRAGE
3 a : intense, turbulent, or furious and often destructive action or force b : vehement feeling or expression : FERVOR; also : an instance of such action or feeling c : a clashing or jarring quality : DISCORDANCE
4 : undue alteration (as of wording or sense in editing a text)

That is all.

BE ALERT!!!

[th0rshammer.livejournal.com]

Violence..hmm. Well, there's where I get into a few sub-catagories: human-made physical violence, to me, is not as often "beautiful" as something like a severe thunderstorm. The T-storm is quite beautiful despite the hurt it often creates. Something like a bomb or somone yelling...not beautiful. It's just raw dirty gray hurt with no lovely fireworks and only rarely justified by nature.
I have to mention the beauty of moral or philosophical justice that results from violence. Why do most people take martial arts? To protect from scumbags. It is therefore an inwardly beautiful thing for me to see a would-be aggressor layed out and bloody.

[lareth.livejournal.com]

The deepest spiritual feelings always come from our most basic animal functions: getting and eating food, finding a mate, having children, running and fighting for our lives. The joy we get from exercise and dance is derived from our ancestors' need to hunt food, avoid predators and fight off rivals.

It is my strongly held belief that people fear violence, not because it is threatening (we enjoy plenty of other threatening activities), but because it provokes both fight and flight responses at the same time. We are torn, paralyzed and gripped with anguish. The beauty and spirituality of the martial arts come from the ability they give us to focus on only one instinct at a time.

Violence can be beautiful, both in the movement of the human body and in the startling chaos and stark contrast it provides. For those in it, there are few experiences that can affect someone as deeply as looking into another human's eyes and realizing they fully intend to kill you and if you don't stop them you will swiftly and assuredly be dead. There are very few things that can join two souls so completely as that.

My hat's off to you just for asking the question.

[azuzil.livejournal.com]

Sooo violence. When I hear violence I think non-consensual acts. I realize that the definition is more broad than that however. If I hit someone and they bruise is that violence? If we are playing football and I bruise someone is it violence? If I am spanking my lover and she bruises is it violence?

If we argue that violence is physical harm acted on another with full intent, then yes I think it can be beautiful. I as you know am very invested in my little BDSM community here in Houston. I have seen acts of "violence" that are beautiful before during and after. Beautiful green/purple bruises, long red cuts like red tatoos forming feathers for wings.

[dyingfire.livejournal.com]

Violence is art and art is pretty. Especially martial arts fighting styles. Fist to head violence is gory. and not so much pretty.