Rights?

[Nicki B]

One is allowed to stand up for themselves. Your outburst was very understandable. When someone attacks you, you are entitled to protect yourself.

But it may not be very wise, if it simply escalates the confrontation.. IME when attacked, it's best to stand back and ask yourself why the other person is behaving the way they are - it's perfectly possible you are not the reason, but you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Whatever, they picked the battleground, so you're not going to win..

But like begets like.

Exactly. It may be instinctive - but it's not very clever.