@newemergingking: This guy was mean-mugging me, so I mean-mugged him back. We exchanged words… and then he “pulled a weapon.” That’s how fast a pointless situation can escalate. Today I taught the boys that de-escalation can start with something as simple as a smile, a greeting, or deciding not to match somebody else’s energy. A lot of young men think walking away makes them soft. It doesn’t. If you’ve done what you can to calm a situation down and the other person still wants a problem, leave. You don’t have to prove you’re tougher. You don’t have to win every stare-down. You don’t have to let your ego make a permanent decision over a temporary moment. The goal is to make it back home to your family.