5% for fighting
Surveys about fighting, Daylight Saving Time, favorite years, months, and times, Kristi Noem, Iran, Congress, the Democratic and Republican parties, and the U.S. men's and women's ice hockey teams.
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How often do you get into physical fights?
If you’re like 83% of Americans, the answer is “never.” Only 4% of Americans say they get into fights either once a week or more (1%), once or twice a month (1%), or a few times a year (2%), while 13% say they get into fights rarely. Men are slightly more likely than women to say they get into fights at least once per year (5% vs. 3%), but large majorities say they never fight among both men (77%) and women (88%).
Americans are more likely to say people they know get into fights: 34% of U.S. adults, including 41% of men and 28% of women, say people they know at least occasionally get into physical fights. That compares to 17% of Americans, 23% of men, and 12% of women who say they occasionally get into fights themselves.
While only 17% of Americans say they ever get into physical fights now, 58% say they sometimes fought when growing up. That includes 7% who say they had fights at least once a month while growing up, 13% who fought a few times a year, and 38% who say they got into fights rarely.
Men are more likely than women to say they ever fought when growing up (72% vs. 44%).
Younger men are less likely than older men to say they sometimes got into physical fights as kids. 78% of men 65 and older say they sometimes fought as kids, compared to 61% of men under 30. Older men aren’t more likely than younger men to say they fought often growing up; to the contrary, 11% of men under 30 say they got into fights at least once per month, compared to 5% among men 65 and older. However, older men are more likely than younger men to say they occasionally got into fights.
Among women, however, having never fought as kids is no more common among younger generations. There is even a slight age gap in the other direction: 62% of women 65 and older say they never fought while growing up, compared to 54% of younger women.
YouGov also asked Americans about a hypothetical scenario in which a young man in their local area was publicly disrespected. If the man walked away instead of fighting, did Americans think he would be viewed positively or negatively in their community?
Americans are most likely to say this young man would be viewed positively: 49% say that, while only 8% say he would be viewed negatively for walking away, for a difference of 41 points. Another 18% say “neither,” and 25% aren’t sure.
But men are less likely than women to say the non-fighting young man would be viewed positively: 45% of men say he would be viewed positively and 10% say negatively, a 36-point margin, while 53% of women say “positively” and 7% “negatively” for a 46-point margin.
This holds true among men and women of all ages, and among white, Black, and Hispanic men and women.
White Americans and older Americans are more likely to say not fighting would cause a young man to be viewed positively than are younger Americans or Black or Hispanic Americans.
Americans who say the non-fighting young man would be viewed negatively are more likely to know people who get into fights at least occasionally than are those who say he’d be viewed positively (51% vs. 32%).
See the full results of this poll, inspired by a series of X posts by social scientist Alice Evans:
Charting opinions
The times they are a-changin’ — but most Americans would rather they not
About two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they would like it if clocks no longer changed twice a year. Only 16% say they would not like to see the changing of the clocks eliminated. If time changes were to be eliminated, more Americans would prefer Permanent Daylight Saving Time, with its later sunrises and sunsets, than Permanent Standard Time’s earlier sunrises and sunsets (43% vs. 28%). (Alexander Rossell Hayes)
The most favorably viewed time of day among Americans, among 10 asked about, is 7 p.m.: 77% view this evening hour favorably, including 34% who view it very favorably. The least favorably viewed time of day polled about is 4 a.m.: 39% have a favorable view and 41% view it unfavorably. Americans 65 and older are more likely than younger adults to have favorable views of the hours of 8 a.m. (65% vs. 55%), 10 a.m. (82% vs. 66%), noon (82% vs. 70%), and 3 p.m. (80% vs. 69%). (Jamie Ballard)
Quick takes
Noem: 52% of Americans approve of Kristi Noem’s firing as Homeland Security Secretary, while only 18% disapprove
Duration: If the U.S. conflict with Iran ended in less than a week, 48% of Americans say they would approve of the conflict and 27% would disapprove; if the conflict lasted more than two months, 27% would approve and 51% disapprove
Trifecta: 52% of Republicans say it’s better if the same party controls the White House and Congress than if different parties control them; 21% of Democrats and 18% of Independents feel the same way
Parties: 30% of Democrats want the Democratic Party to move to the left and 9% want it to move to the right; 7% of Republicans want the Republican Party to move to the left and 32% want it to move to the right
Hockey: 68% of Republicans have very or somewhat favorable views of the U.S. men’s ice hockey team and only 7% view it unfavorably. Among Democrats, 53% are favorable toward the gold-medal winning team and 27% are unfavorable
Elsewhere
Polling partnerships
The Economist + YouGov on Iran, Trump’s job handling, and ICE
Yahoo + YouGov on milk
Polling abroad
Polling in the press
Half of Americans support abolishing ICE in record poll (Axios)
The Memo: Polls show deep public skepticism of Trump’s case on Iran (The Hill)
All the polls on the U.S. war in Iran so far (Strength In Numbers | G. Elliott Morris’s Substack)
An unlikely AI optimist (Washington Post)
1 in 5 Americans admit to sneaking in own sauces as hot restaurant trend goes viral (Fox News)
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Carl Bialik contributed to this newsletter.