I think a lot of people closely associate what they believe with who they are. And if you attack the core of who someone is, I don't care who they are or how calm and collected they are, they -will- lash out. The more effectively that you attack it, the more defensive and hostile they'll become.

I identify myself much more by my honor and behavior, the personal code by which I try to live, and if anyone were to attack that, especially sensative areas where I'm not 100% positive that I'm being everything I pretend to be, I might not lash out at them (although I might), but boy would I ever be hurt.

So I don't pretend to be any less human than anyone else :) The only difference is that I think I've managed to identify myself with something much closer to the core of my being that has less to do with what people around me think and do.