So, the task (from the forum): My supervisor is looking down on me. She doesn’t hesitate to show disgust towards me, she considers me stupid and untalented. Now we need his signature for admission to defense. How to behave? There are people with whom you don’t want to communicate at all. For different reasons. And then communication with them becomes “business only, nothing personal.” Communication comes down to "Hello-let's-thank you-goodbye." The peculiarity is that such people will not meet you halfway “for free”, but will most likely want to make fun of you before fulfilling your request. This is a kind of “payment” for what he does for you. And since you “pay” by conversation, your task as a “buyer” is to pay as little as possible, despite the “seller’s” attempts to take more. And the simplest thing in this case, and at the same time the safest, is not to pay, that is, not to enter into an additional dialogue that is imposed on you. There is a good eastern proverb: “The dogs bark, the caravan moves on.” If you are afraid to conduct a dialogue, you should not conduct it. Your task is to get him to sign? Ask for it. He will speak out and sign. If there is a provocation to get you talking, pretend smartly, as if you are looking for something to answer, mutter, run away, spread your arms, sigh, look with devoted eyes, but remain silent. And wait for him to sign. If a person tormented you a lot and “gotten you away” for a long time, it is quite possible to return a little. And then, before you close the door to his office, turn around and say in a completely calm voice, “What a bastard you are!”, close the door and leave. *****Bonus. By the way, it also works in real money relationships. The person wants to raise the price, but you hesitate, hesitate, throw up your hands, but only hand over the money that you agreed on. "Sorry dear, this is what we agreed on, this is what it is."