Fuzzybear

What I like about a place like PC, despite it not being perfect, is that so often you'll find others who are trying to work along their 'stuff' right next to you. Many are learning to navigate the meaning of being accountable for ones own actions, for the most part, so you'll see more consideration and sometimes acknowledgement of whatever it could be, whether something resonates or the person is having a tough time with xyz.
Then you venture off into no mans land and it's like dog eat dog.
It's more than ok to stand up for yourself. You perhaps have better tools and skills than them. I say if your bear teeth feel like clamping down out there, go for it. It makes you human because you know deep down that whatever was stated wasn't respectful of good healthy boundaries. Nothing terrible about self defense.