Originally Posted by
amooseoncebitmysister 
My very wise grandfather used to say "Sarcasm is the sign of a weak person." Audrey is right on.
Obviously, there are different kinds of sarcasm; some if it is hilarious amongst friends. However, the belittling kind - THAT is the wretched kind.
I like the "did that make you feel like a bigger person" response...IME not all the people who deploy the belittling kind of sarcasm realize why they're doing it. It gives them pause in the future.
I should have used that with my alcoholic father. I think it's one of the reasons why I take everything so personally. My sister and I were always the object of my dad's jokes. He was very inappropriate and made sexual comments about me or told sexual jokes at the dinner table in front of my little sister. He honestly had no class and his favorite thing was belittling me or minimizing my pain or illness or emotions.
My AH knows this about me and blames my father for the fact that he can't joke with me anymore. Sigh.....it's just a typical alcoholic cycle: like father, like son in law.