What can I be, do or say that will put this ELF into question?

Do you have people in your life who are always saying or doing mean things to you and others just for the fun of it? Those Evil Little Freaks (ELFs, or use any other word starting with F) who take delight in pushing your buttons? Do they upset you? Do you scratch your head and wonder what you could do to stop them from being mean, and make them nice like you? What have you tried so far? Did it work? Can you ever change the way someone behaves? Not unless they choose to change. ELFs do what they do because they enjoy it. Will they change it because someone else doesn't like it? Probably not. So what can you do? Crinkle their universe with a question. Start asking yourself “What can I be, do or say that will put this ELF into question?” It could be as simple as acknowledging them, playing blonde, and asking without heat or judgement “That's fascinating! What exactly do you mean?” then listen.