AITA For Smacking My Brother Over Stolen Stuff?

Introduction

Hey guys, ever been in a situation where you're just so mad you could explode? Well, that's where I was the other day, and honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if I went too far. The title pretty much sums it up: I smacked my brother. But before you jump to conclusions, hear me out! It wasn't just a random act of violence; it was the culmination of weeks, maybe even months, of built-up frustration. We're talking about a pattern of behavior that's been driving me absolutely nuts, and I finally snapped. You know that feeling when someone repeatedly crosses your boundaries, and you feel like they're not respecting you or your belongings? That's the exact situation I found myself in, and in the heat of the moment, I reacted physically. Now, I'm left wondering if I was justified in my actions or if I'm the one in the wrong here. Was there a better way to handle it? Probably. But did my frustration reach a boiling point? Absolutely. So, I'm turning to you, the internet, to get your unbiased opinions. Am I the a**hole for smacking my brother for stealing my stuff? Let's dive into the details, and you can be the judge.

The Backstory: A History of "Borrowing"

Okay, so to fully understand why I reacted the way I did, you need some backstory. My brother, let's call him Jake, has this habit of “borrowing” my things without asking. Now, I wouldn’t mind if he actually asked, but he doesn’t. It’s more like he sees something he wants, and then it magically disappears from my room and reappears in his. At first, it was small stuff – a pen, a phone charger, a t-shirt. Annoying, sure, but I let it slide. I mean, we're brothers, right? A little sharing is caring, and all that jazz. But then it started escalating. It went from the small stuff to my favorite headphones, my gaming controller, even clothes that I specifically told him not to touch.

The real problem here isn't just the items themselves; it's the principle of the thing. It's the blatant disregard for my property and my boundaries. It feels like he doesn't respect me enough to even ask, and that’s what really grinds my gears. I've talked to him about it multiple times. I've tried being calm and reasonable, explaining how it makes me feel when he takes my things without permission. I've even tried being assertive, telling him outright to stop. But nothing seems to work. He either brushes it off with a casual “Oh, sorry, I forgot to ask” or he gets defensive, accusing me of being selfish and not wanting to share. And honestly, that's what makes me so mad! It's not about the stuff; it's about the lack of respect and the constant feeling of being violated. I keep telling myself to be the bigger person, to find a mature way to resolve this, but it's hard when the behavior continues despite my efforts. So, yeah, that's the backstory. A long history of