The Utility of Violence

Back in April, I dipped my toe into Serbia. I met with a series of interesting folks who each acted as figureheads for their respective movements.  

They all spoke with that cold, Serbian monotone where their eyes did most of the talking.

Still, piercing, grounded. 

It seems that the right of passage for a Serb is with some form of physical confrontation that you don’t really have a choice but to face. Life there is harsh and aggressive whether you like it or not. It made everyone I met a tough bastard.

Luca, my guide (part hooligan, part theater kid) introduced me to the cast. He loved fighting. He loved art. A walking contradiction in most other places. His love for masculine energy met an equal passion for self-expression.

The different people I met all had a stillness that seemed earned. They were no strangers to violence, rather they were so familiar that it was one of their most intimate companions. 

Violence in Serbia isn’t hypothetical. It’s not a last resort. It sits at the table. It has a chair. It gets served first.

In Serbia, the integration of violence creates sober gazes that speak truth- and firm handshakes, even from the meekest-looking figures. There is a greater deal of self-respect felt in the presence of new acquaintances. 

It’s the quiet confidence of someone who knows: if shit goes down, they can handle it. No bark. Just capacity.

This was refreshing to me as violence and anger are an action and emotion that I’ve been taught to suppress. Yet, despite all efforts to ignore this intense energy, they bubble to the surface in ways that cause harm. 

What I witnessed in Serbia was the passage of violence into healthy expression. No one hid from anger. It sat beside everyone as a tool not as an inhibitor. 

Violence was loud.

It was the thud of bare fists in a concrete boxing gym,

It was the guttural yells of students screaming for justice,

It was in the eyes of a man who’s ready to fight for his land…again.

• Violence in Serbia is present

• Violence in Serbia is expressed.

• Violence in Serbia has utility. 

Find a healthy outlet for your violence and you’ll become still.

Suppress it, and it will find its way out anyway just louder, and less kind.

Happy Sunday Don’s and Donnettes. 

P.S. That mugshot I used as the main cover is from a goofy trespassing charge when I was exploring an abandoned building with some friends. It’s not as tough as it looks 😅