Is the best way to escape a potential assault to talk your way out of it?

False-there is no best way to escape a potential assault. think of all your options as tools in a toolbox. in some situations, one tool will work best. in other situations, another one will. you wouldnt use a wrench to hammer a nail into a wall! So, sometimes talking to the assailant or negotiating in some way might be a good technique. in other situations running, fighting, yelling... or even just enduring the assault so you are not hurt worse can be good techniques. the most important thing is to survive the assault, any way you can. if you survive it then you did the right thing.