Originally Posted by tore

MAStudent's point was obviously that sometimes you don't get to choose whether or not you want to fight. Sometimes you don't get a chance to talk yourself out of it. In my own story a page or two back, I was walking away from the pub happily oblivious that I was soon to be jumped from behind by this ******* who suddenly had me on the ground with his hands around my throat. How was I supposed to talk my way out of that one?

You've probably never been in a situation where you don't get to choose not to fight or don't even get a chance to talk yourself out of it, but they happen.