Whether it's that they're having a bad day, are mad at you because you made an innocent mistake, or they're just a difficult person by nature, no one has the right to put you down. If their meltdown is followed by an apology you deem to be sincere, life moves on. But if you find that these outbursts occur quite frequently, or if the person has a knack for pinning the blame on you when something goes wrong, it's important you stand up for yourself.  Otherwise, they'll think they have permission to treat you with disrespect.  Standing up for oneself doesn't mean you have to disparage the individual, firing off expletives, throwing things at them, and essentially stooping to his or level.  You can be firm and civil at the same time. In fact, you would merely be admonishing on their petty behavior: They should watch their language and tone it down, or there will he consequences. Such consequences may include reporting them to human resource...