@insight-out: First of all thanks a lot for featuring and promoting my work :D Secondly I totally get what you are referring to with "bossy" people. Joking when confronted with authoritarian people can work, but I experienced it myself that it can be a recipe for disaster. Bossy people usually want to be acknowledged first, appreciated first. Joking can give the impression that you're NOT taking them seriously. The vicious cycle starts spinning. They get more bossy to get the acknowledgment they want and you get more "funny" to distract from the initial confusion. It won't end well. Referring to the deeper root I can tell from experience that it still takes me consistent confrontational work to disciplining myself into getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Being fine not knowing the answer. Being fine expressing that I don't know the answer. Having the courage to be stupid ;) I realized that it's the inner child who feels "not good enough" who needs to overcompensate through "knowing it all". Nurture your inner child. It's easier said than done, I know. It tends to hide deep within the subconsciousness. It wants to go out and play though without the judgment of not being enough :) So to conclude: When someone's authoritarian and humor doesn't seem to work, appeal to his/her ego, acknowledge, admit if you don't know, and nurture your inner child. Hope I could provide value :)