[header] How to deal with a sarcastic person [title] Distinguish between playful and hurtful sarcasm. [step] Sometimes sarcasm is used to inject humor into a situation or dissipate tension. In other cases, sarcasm could be wielded as a verbal weapon. 
Knowing the difference is important, since you don't want to overreact if the sarcastic person is just trying to be funny. In general, if the remark doesn't single a person out, it's possible it was intended to be humorous.