In the ancient world, respect, privilege, and status went hand in hand. A person of higher rank jealously guarded these "perks." Losing any of them had dire consequences for the individual and family. Guarding them created inequities. An ancient samurai could kill a peasant for improper speech or manners without any thought of punishment, for example. How, then, could a person of lower status resist abuse without losing their lives?
In these old societies, the individual had the right to defend their lives, even if they didn't have the right to strike back. But the defense had to be carried out in the right way. The attacker had to be seen as the aggressor and the victim as merely defending themselves. The defense had to frustrate and humiliate the attacker, establish the innocence of the victim, and destroy respect for the attacker in the eyes of the community.
