If you try to steal from me, I'll break your laptop PC! Have I done the right thing?

Question

So my sister and I had a bet and whoever was gonna win the bet had to pay the other one 50 Euros. So we shook hands and then later that night I took her out somewhere but accidentally she kept the change out of a 50 Euro note in her pocket (around 44 Euros).

Later on when we got home, I asked her to give me back the money because it was my change from buying her pop-corn (okay we went to the cinema) but she wouldn't give it and I had to literally grab one of the 20 Euro notes by force out of her hand, almost tearing it apart.

She was insisting she had won the bet when I never really accepted such a defeat, since the parameters for winning or losing had not yet been met (she was supposed to ask someone the following day).

So we had a whole argument about this and she made me reach my limits, she wasn't giving me back the rest of the money and I got furious and destroyed her laptop computer!!

So my question to you is: Do you think stealing 44 Euros, or 1000 Euros (that's the laptop) makes a difference, Isn't it stealing still?

Did I have the right to become so furious or not?

Thanks and sorry for the poor grammar in there, and the long story :)

Answer 1

Sounds as if you've gone and bitten your nose off in spite of your face. Instead of letting her keep the lousy 44 Euros, you're NOW out of pocket exactly 1044 Euros, as YOU'RE responsible for buying her a new laptop.

Why couldn't you have done the adult thing, and let her kept that bit of money until the bet could have been settled? Is it really worth that additional cost for either some massive repairing, or a new laptop and quite possibly some massive problems with your sister?

What YOU did was far worse than what she did. And rather than taking pride in destroying another persons property, you should be ashamed, and sorrier than you have ever in your life been.

Answer 2

you had a right to be mad at her but you shouldn't of broke her laptop. But you really should of done something about it that's more mature.

Like talk to your parents or really talk to your sister and try to get her to understand.

Answer 3

You had every right to be upset with her, BUT, that did not give you the right to destroy her stuff.  When people let their anger control them, anger always gets out of hand and lets people do really stupid things.  Anger blinds you to reality.

You SHOULD have told her how unreasonable and stubborn she was acting, told her how upset you were that she refused to give you YOUR money, and just left.  Then you should of waited a few days until you calmed down, and asked her again for your change.  Eventually, if you only talk to her about the money and nothing else, she most likely will give the money back.  Because you did not control your anger, now you are going to have to pay HER 956 Euros.  

NOBODY has the "right" to let anger get out of control.  You let yours get way out of control.  

Answer 4

Its still stealing

But you had no right whats so EVER to break her laptop!

That was completely selfish of you and its just rude!

You did have the right to become angry but no right to brake her laptop

Answer 5

First, let me say that you have good grammar :)  One could say that stealing is stealing. However, stealing a person's candy is not the same as stealing their medicine, for example. Stealing a person's shirt isn't the same as stealing their car. Depending on the use of something, getting stolen may be more serious. I believe that a laptop has more use than 50 Euros, in most cases, so in this case I would say you did worse. Also, reacting through anger and vengeance aren't really the way. By "stealing back" all you did was sink down to her level. There is usually an alternate method. It seems to me that you ask the question because you feel guilt but want to be spared the guilt. I could be wrong. I don't believe you did the right thing. A calm approach would have probably been better for the both of you. Anger doesn't get you your money back. Hope I helped.

Answer 6

Think of it this way.

Staling is stealing. If you know that something belongs to someone else and you take it or refuse to return it - that is stealing.

HOWEVER,

handling it the way you handled it is really no better than stealing.

Destroying someones property is never an acceptable answer. Now you are faced with something worth more than 50 euro. You owe her alot more for a broken laptop.

Just because someone wrongs you does not give you the right to return that wrong doing.

Sorry that you were placed in this situation. Good luck!

Answer 7

Stealing is Stealing, however I think you may have gone a little bit too far destroying her laptop