@dloos
I agree with you that one wrong word or action can lead to a deadly encounter over the most minor issue. Aside from making it a practice to be kind and having compassion for others, I always encourage my son and others to seek to deescalate every situation whether you are right or wrong because you never know when you're dealing with someone who is about to snap. Great example:

I was in a busy supermarket at the height of the pandemic. In CA, we were required to wear masks in all stores and stay 6 feet apart. The checkout lines were busy and with everyone so far apart, the lines could be confusing. Sure enough, a woman with no mask didn't know where the line ended, pulled in front of me and inappropriately, even in a non-pandemic world, put her cart side-by-side with the woman in front of me and was standing practically touching shoulders with her. It was weird and invasive. The unmasked woman was coughing a little as well. After seeing nightly store battles on the news, I thought this was going to turn into a confrontation for sure. To my surprise, the justified woman turned to the intruder, smiled and said in the kindest voice, "It looks like you have a few less items than I do. Would you like to go ahead of me in line?" The intruder, "Why yes, thank you." Problem solved through kindness and patience. After the invader checked out, I commended the woman in front of me for handling the situation with such grace. It was truly inspirational!