Yes, unfortunately, this is what it’s come down to. What decent people have to do to survive in this world is to take the advice the Godfather gave his sons (in the novel, not the movie): “Don’t fight with strangers.” If a stranger complains about the parking space your car is in, apologize, move the car, and quickly get far away from the complainer. Forget about being “right” because the cost of being right when you’re dealing with strangers could be your life. Every stranger is a potential psychopath and you should act accordingly.
Won't work. I have some familiarity with what is taught in prison and jail. This is known as Trying you. If you fail this test, the next thing they will take is your life.
Never look for trouble and do what ever you can to avoid it but be prepared to dish it out in lethal doses if you have no choice. Don’t live like a coward or a victim
That advice might not sit well with the super-macho types, but you are 100% correct.
I once attended a martial arts clinic. The presenter was Japanese, a well-regarded karate master. Near the end, the master said that he was going to share with us his most powerful self-defense technique. We all wondered what it would be. A fancy kick? An exotic punch?
Well, it was pretty much what you said. His most powerful technique was this: swallow your pride, verbally diffuse the situation, then quickly move on.
When I was 18 I learned to stay away from drunken strangers.