Whatever it is, there is something in his head, and we need to acknowledge that even if we need to fight his influence.
A similar discussion is about whether Yaakov should have made a shidduch between Dina and Esav instead of boxing her. Some of baalei Mussar (R Salanter?) says maybe Yaakov was correct hiding Dina but he was wrong about being so enthusiastic about locking the box, some sadness that it was not possible to help the brother was appropriate. That means we should mind our safety, but look for opportunities to help even those who attack us.