Defender

The defender must always be stronger than the attacker. The aggression of an attacker is to his/her advantage. However, rage is not aggression. Blindly throwing oneself into a battle is not being aggressive or defensive, but rather losing control. Once one has lost control, they have lost. Defending against an onslaught of attacks, one must have practiced even more than the one unleashing the attacks. To protect another is even more difficult than simply defending.

The fight or flight response is not the sole item at work during conflict. One can choose to flee or stand ground, but another has already chosen to instigate. When the time comes, do you choose the easy way of being the aggressor, the safety of leaving, defending your ground, or protecting those around you?

Much as in life, the easy way is rarely the right way to do anything.