This may take some reading, but here's my two cents.

I frequent this sub, not for any real pleasure of any sort, but more out of a mental preparation. Before I ever got into a street fight, I thought I was the ultimate bad ass. I had been into some school yard scuffles and felt pretty good about myself. See, I always thought there'd be some code of conduct, some type of honor in a street fight. Now, after beng ganged, suffering multiple broken ribs, a shattered arm, nearly crippled hand, scars, scratches and black eyes, I finally realize just how stupid and naive I truly was. These days I don't start fights, but I'll finish em, and I know there's no such thing as a one-on-one, honor or code of conduct so I watch my back. I learned from my mistakes, but I had to suffer through them in order to understand what they were.

This sub is like that for me. I often watch most of these videos with an heir of compassion for the victim, (depending on the situation presented anyway, because fuck ISIS) and think to myself there, but for the grace of God, go I." I place myself in the dead person's shoes, and wonder what they might be thinking as they realize that their time has come, and light goes out of their eyes. The things they never got to do, the loved ones they never got to kiss again. It makes me appreciate the time I have all the more.

I also watch the clips of men committing despicable (not ISIS,) acts to get a better sense of what a cold blooded murderer might look like. Scary thing is, they look pretty normal; they just hide themselves well behind a friendly facade. Still, I draw the line at watching serial killers who films their kills, and certain ISIS videos. I view everything as cautionary tales and take life lessons from them just as I would watching a skateboarder shatter his ankle bones from a 15ft drop.