When it's best not to engage in battle:

1. There's a low probability of winning without doing excessive damage
2. Upon reflection, winning isn't as important as it originally seemed 
3. There likely will be a time down the line when you can raise the issue again with a different person or in a different way
4. The other party's style is provocative whether speaking with you or others, so it's not worth taking personally
5. You could win on the immediate issue, but lose big in terms of the relationship