How to get over a confrontation with a stranger?
I was standing outside a smoothie cart and another customer, a slightly older guy walks up. He gets in line and flicks his cigarette butt on the sidewalk. I said to him "You know cigarettes aren't biodegradable", but because I live in Philadelphia, of course he started to flip out.
I tried to be calm for the first couple moments, but of course it dissolved to "fuck you"'s, "come on pussy" etc. He was getting in my face until I stuck my arm out and told him he needs to back up. He eventually backed off once I sort of stood my ground, maybe he noticed my muay thai/boxing hoodie
Anyway, now I feel embarrassed and guilty and stupid while I keep replaying the 5 minute event in my head. How do you get over those feelings?
Also, should you just always mind your own business? I guess littering is technically "harmless" (meaning, someone isn't in immediate danger), but I also think it's wrong and I hate that the locals of this city treat the streets like their personal garbage can. But I also know that I didn't change his mind on it either way.
Edit: Thanks guys, I'm feeling much better. I'm actually laughing about it now. I mean, the guy spent the entire ten minutes trying to convince me and the other people around him why HE SHOULD LITTER or why it doesn't matter if he litters. "The world is ending and you care about littering?!?!" "What are you, a fucking activist?!?!" "You know what! I'm gonna keep on littering!". Also, this guy pretty much looked like Robert Englund (The actor who plays Freddy Krueger) in a sweatsuit.
I don't normally post stuff like this on Reddit, but decided to create this post to try to avoid texting my fiancee at work about it, or my other friends who don't want to hear about another random Philly confrontation, and it worked.
2nd Edit: Maybe I wasn't clear, but this post isn't really about HIS REACTION. How he reacted was to be expected, especially in Philly. Honestly, by the end of our exchange, I was the one not backing down. It's about the guilt/hangover/embarrassment I feel when I rise to someone's anger. And secondly, is the hangover/risk worth telling someone off for something like littering.