“many have no idea what it is to take a life”
Agree with that. When it REALLY comes down to it, many (probably including myself) freeze.
Depending on the situation even the slightest hesitation can be fatal.
That would be me as well. I hope I never have to face that situation but I do know the one time I saw some real violence I froze. It was a nightclub fight that had somehow drifted into the street and there was a good number of people witnessing it. No one stepped into it to stop it. I’m not sure that is analogous to when your own life is threatened but I do know I was among the crowd in freezing and being helpless.