Huh. I didn’t notice this question until now. But since you ask, I conceptualize feelings into a kind of hierarchy. I would have to be feeling an overwhelming sense of anger in order to be able to smash someone’s face in. Even then, I probably wouldn’t do it, but let’s just go with it since it is your example. This great anger, this rage, in my hierarchy, feels better than say depression or despair because it is energetic. It gets my blood pumping and my heart beating. It has the potential to fuel action. But contentment feels better to me than anger. Better still is peace. Better still is gratitude. Even better still is joy. Emotional experiences like peace, a grateful heart, and joy never move me to hurt others. On the contrary. In my own case, I am more comfortable in other people’s presence when I am in a state of peace or contentment or joy. The consequences of actions taken while in these states for myself and others are more likely to be beneficial than when I take action out of anger or rage. As to the question of right or wrong and how that relates to emotion, I don’t know. I wouldn’t try answering big moral questions for other people. And for me, karma is just another word for life giving you what you give it, so it is neutral in that sense. It seems to me that you increase the odds of getting your own face smashed in if you are in the habit of smashing in other people's faces.

I could walk through the valley of the shadow of death and never feel fear. I do not recognize pain as something that could hurt me. Losing to one of them... very unlikely but possible.

Thank you for all the terrific responses, everyone!

I believe I have received the answer to my question; I've another one but I believe it would be a little off-topic to introduce it here. I will create another topic for that later on.


Lastly, to answer your question, Whitewolf:

I do not feel any particular mindset change, nor do I feel good about it. Of course it would depend on why exactly I would hit them in the first place. Since I do not - at least consciously - provoke any violence, I would do it out of self-defense. In such a case, I would probably feel fear. Nothing else.