Let's all share our conviction that our ability to get what we want and need does not have to resemble the vicious king of the beasts nor the meek lamb being led to the slaughter. The central problem people have with asserting themselves is exactly akin to the lions and lambs analogy, particularly for those of us who grew up in dysfunctional families.
Lions stand up for their rights, but also have no qualms about squashing others' rights.
People who know how to assert themselves stand up for their rights and yet do NOT infringe on others' rights. Contemptuous people Devaluing people Hitters Blackmailers People who threaten, coerce, and make unreasonable demands. They know how to ask for what they want and they know how to insist on their needs being met without bullying or pleading. Lambs and Lions are flip sides of the same coin because they both do not know how to assert themselves, and they both generally do not get what they want. Lambs and lions have similar fears related to the outcomes of self-assertion, and they similarly make up rules that serve to avoid their fears.