Self-defence is more than a just a set of techniques, it is a set of beliefs that start with the fact that "you are worth defending". The sad part is that a lot of people don’t really believe they are.
We see proof of this time and again when we run a beginners self-defence session, especially a female only one. Ask a woman to hit the pads because someone attacked her and she will half-heartedly hit them whilst apologising for possibly hurting you at the same time.