The Swede sprang up with the celerity of a man escaping from a snake on the floor. "I don't want to fight!" he shouted. "I don't want to fight!"

One of the most interesting studies in fear and violence, and I guess mob/pack violence, is Stephan Crane's Blue Hotel. Is there something in the smell of fear that drives aggression? Ask the Swede. Does weakness bring on a violent or aggressive response? You can't really generalize about such chemistry, but my experience says it does. And where does Morrissey fit into all this when he says "it takes guts to be gentle and kind".

I remember being warned as a young kid, when around strange or growling dogs, "Don't let him know you are afraid". Or maybe it was walk don't run. Which even makes a nice surfing song title. Anyway, here is a link to Crane's story on line.