Strategy Question: Offense vs Defense in 14.1

I had a strategy discussion a couple of days ago with a pool friend about offense vs defense in straight pool. I balanced my chances for getting out (I needed 2) against my chance of winning a safety battle (he needed 5). How would you go about making a decision like this?

A Hierarchy for Advanced Pool Skills Acquisition

When should you begin to learn and practice the more advanced shots in pool. The framework advocated here will help you answer that question. Based on how well you play the ghost, the idea is to learn skills at the right time and in the right order to maximize your improvement.