Disclaimer - This is not my writing. It is simply something that made me stop and go Hmmmmm. My response to specific situations does not always come from where it should. While I have no problem standing up for myself, I am learning that emotional responses are not always the best for me either. I'm losing track of what lesson number I'm on. :)
Every puzzle piece counts when building our complete picture of Self-to-self. This caption is saying "...to respond in anger..." and while walking away is a good plan (rather than responding in anger), the real point of our learning is to discover that there are other emotional responses and actions/reactions that speak another storyline, which can be equally valid and appropriate--depending on the exact situation we are in. Anger is not our only choice, and walking away is not always the best way to stand up for ourselves. To understand purpose, aim, intention--both our own, and other people's, gives us a freedom and power to interact, act and respond, in many dynamic ways. Sometimes a completely different response would allow for a completely different outcome. Our lives are lived out of the specifics of our individual, personal context. Often a truly wise response in one situation is not so wise in the next situation. There is no one-size-fits all in our interactive living.
The value of our Self-to-self learning is in expanding our understanding of ourselves and our power of choice, to give us more choices. Within that proposition, we can begin to find new responses according to new reasoning; and we can "read" each situation according to its own facts to arrive at a "best" response according to the ever changing specifics of our interactions with each other. If our aim is to find a win-win solution, often "walking away" will not be our best response. And there are times when walking away will not be the best method to speak our own self respect as a way to stand up for ourselves.
Self-to-self is not about any specific rules to take any specific actions. Self-to-self learning is about expanding our self understanding in order to use our power of choice to whatever our own aims are. Our power of choice includes how we respond, react, just as much as it includes our power to choose how and what we will initiate, generate. The one idea here, is very different than the other. Life is Learning. Deciding what, why, and how, we want to learn, is a beginning. The what is always about ourselves and our power to create, the why is always to become more enlightened as we practice wise and fulfilling creating, and the how is always Self-to-self.
