Disclaimer -- this is a trick question:
How much is your pride and ego worth? Thousands of dollars? Criminal and civil charges? The possible revocation of your CCW permit and/or confiscation of your handgun?
There is a very good chance you’ll have to deal with some or all of the above if you allow your emotions to get the best of you in a violent encounter.
Most gun battles don’t happen the way we’ve imagined. It’s not always a silent attacker who jumps from the shadows brandishing a knife leaving you mere seconds to draw and shoot.
Many encounters begin verbally. Gestures and body language also play a significant role. These verbal and physical actions can serve to escalate or de-escalate a tense situation.
Ryan Vanorden, in his article, “When and Where You Least Expect It…” at USConcealedCarry.com concluded a gripping story based on true events with this advice:
“… we need to consider how we will react to possible situations outside of our ideal gunfight. It is much easier to act appropriately if we have some idea beforehand of how we will do so. Third, we must act calmly and judiciously during such a scenario. Cooler heads prevail. Finally, it is often best to do all of the above, while keeping our mouths shut and under control. (read the whole article about guns and safety here)
Part of being a responsible and effective concealed carrying citizen is being able to make solid rational decisions in the heat of the moment. Those decisions will have long range echoing impacts on not only your own life but the lives of your loved ones.
If someone walks away and backs down thinking they’ve won at your expense is it worth the blow to your pride? Without a doubt, it is. Keeping your mouth shut and under control can be the single best thing you do when someone is trying to escalate things.
If you intentionally choose to agitate a situation and it turns violent you will almost certainly be up to your neck in hot water.
There will be the lawyer and court fees paid for with money that could have gone for something else like a family vacation. Also consider the time spent away from work and home defending yourself for months over events that took mere seconds to transpire.
It isn’t a natural response for most people, but if you can make objective decisions in the heat of the moment thus preventing shots from being fired, chances are very good you’ll look back on the experience and be glad you chose to keep your mouth shut and your head clear.