You have nothing to prove and you certainly don't want to escalate a situation. Law enforcement officers and criminals alike will tell you a firearm is your best form of self-defense. They understand what a valuable tool a firearm is in the hands of a well-trained person. Unfortunately a criminal doesn't need a firearm to turn you into a victim. Let's look at how the criminal mind works.
Criminals are predators and, for the most part, cowards.
They hunt for their prey, stalking them, trying to separate them from the rest of the herd. They look for the weakest, perhaps the infirmed. They don't want someone who is going to offer them resistance. So, they watch and wait, pouncing on the unsuspecting and unaware. Typically they pick the females, the elderly and those with physical or mental handicaps.