> As to your question about me being in a situation that I have to stand my
> ground i.e. being physically attacked the answer is:
> "with the exception of a few cock fights in my youth - NO because I am
> reasonably good at avoiding situations that may lead to confrontation and
> fight."
>
I would also like to add that I observed my Dad who loved to stand his ground (and also pull himself by the bootstraps, but that is another story.) This led to frequent confrontations with other people which, while almost never turned physical they were often close, and I do not think they served the old man well, unlike him pulling himself by the bootstraps. Not only did he lose materially, but he also was in a state of permanent conflict with some of his neighbors and coworkers. Fortunately, he was in a relatively harmonious relationship with my Mom, but only because she almost never stood her ground and instead tried to talk things over or backed off to avoid confrontation.
I think I took that trait from my Mom, with whom I was much closer than with my dad when I was a kid. I did my best to avoid conflict and confrontation, and generally succeeded, but they were few exceptions in my adolescent years. At one memorable occasion, I did stand my ground in a bar brawl and ended up with a broken rib. Unpleasant, but at the end of the day not a big deal. On another memorable occasion, I got into an argument with my significant other and as the situation started heating up, I decided to back off and leave, at which point she grabbed my hair and shirt from behind and started pulling them. I still could have left, but I lost my cool and decided to stand my ground. I turned around and punched her to literally get her of my back and seriously injured her. I regret that move for the rest of my life, but I am also glad that I did not have a weapon. Leaving sans my shirt and few hairs would have been a much more preferable ending. Needless to add that this was the last time I stood my ground.
-- Wojtek
"An anarchist is a neoliberal without money."