Many cases involving self-defense turn on this very question. Under Connecticut’s self-defense law, a person who is justified in using force to defend himself or herself may “use such degree of force which he reasonably believes to be necessary for such purpose.” Of course, the question of what a person reasonably believes to be necessary depends on a variety of factors. For example, if a person shoved you, it would be unlikely that a judge or jury would deem it reasonable for you to beat that person to a pulp with a crowbar.