No one departs 

a confrontation unscathed.

Whether a participant, an observer, or someone further removed, everyone involved in or touched by a dispute is harmed. Those who exchanged harsh words or even actual blows will have planted the seeds for future karmic retributions. Those who witnessed what happened will find themselves impacted in varying ways and degrees. All those affected will continue to influence others they come into contact with as the rancor engendered by the conflict injures everyone in its path like embers falling away from a smoldering fire scorch and sear all they touch. Thus the number of beings negatively impacted continues growing in ways the combatants never imagined. But regardless, as each of those untold beings is affected, the adverse karmic retributions will continue to mount for the original participants, especially the one who chose to begin the confrontation. Yet another reason we should think before acting.