My neighbor, "Brenda," has been using my flower beds as a shortcut for her daily power walks. She’s already trampled my award-winning petunias twice! When I politely asked her to stay on the sidewalk, she laughed and said I was being "too precious" about a little dirt. Now, she won't even wave back. Am I overreacting, or is she stepping out of line?

From The Art of War

"Know your terrain and choose your battles wisely"

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Brenda has dismissed your polite request—she does not respect words. Consider what she values: her routine, her image in the neighborhood. A well-placed fence, a thorny hedge, or a conversation with other neighbors may succeed where direct confrontation failed.

From The Sayings of Confucius: A New Translation of the Greater Part of the Confucian Analects

"Harmony in the neighborhood requires understanding, not victory"

Before you act, ask: what relationship do you want with Brenda for the next twenty years? Your petunias are precious, but so is peace. Perhaps invite her for tea and understand why she takes this path. Often what looks like disrespect is simply thoughtlessness. Give her a graceful way to change.