Win; Not Lose

In a self-defense situation, would you rather win or would you rather not lose. There is a difference between the two choices. One requires an offensive mindset while the other requires a defensive mindset. Neither choice is inherently right or wrong, but one may be more right for a certain person or situation than the other choice.

Offensive and defensive mindsets are neither mutually exclusive nor clearly distinct; each includes elements of the other. An offensive mindset means force will be used to achieve some positive gain. It seeks to impose one's will on the attacker. On the other hand, a defensive mindset seeks to resist force. It seeks to resist the will of the attacker. Generally, if you are stronger than your attacker, you will be offensive, and, if you are weaker than your opponent, you will be defensive.

So, should you fight to win or to not lose? This choice depends on a number of factors:

• Do you have a duty to win, such as being a cop arresting a criminal or a parent protecting a child, or are you just an ordinary person?
• Are you a trained, confident fighter or are you just an ordinary person?
• Are you a young, large, athletic person or are you an older, smaller, physical wreck?
• Are you a fast-twitch person (quick and powerful with short endurance) or a slow-twitch person (slow and powerful with long endurance)?
• Are you outgoing, excitable, and aggressive by nature or are you shy, calm, and unassuming?
• Do you feel justice should be done, or do you just let things work themselves out?
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