I do. And it does mean you have to stay very calm and level-headed.

Working in comedy maybe uniquely prepares you for this. I have suggested ideas in pitch meetings, and then heard them pitched almost immediately after by someone who has been there longer. I have privately tried out my material with colleagues, and then seen them go on stage with it.

In the pitch meetings, I usually speak up right away. Very calmly saying, "Yes, this is what I pitched to (whomever) moments ago." After this has happened a number of times, that person usually stops, and I've noticed other people gain the confidence to own their ideas, too. You say that these manipulative people usually self-sabotage, but that's not always true. Some of them are very good, and someone has to be the first to speak up. In fact, you might not be the first to speak up, because sometimes speaking up happens behind closed doors, and yes, sometimes there are consequences, but we have to all hold ourselves to the highest standards so that those who follow us have an easier road to tread.

As far as stand-up goes, I just made a point to let the guy know and the booker know that that was my joke. The booker might not believe me, but it means that if someone else complains about this guy, he'll have a record. It is not the one voice that will make people lose faith in someone, but the accumulation over time of many reports. But you have to be willing to make the reports from the get go.

The same feeling of nervousness and confidence happens when I make clear to folks that their racism and sexism aren't welcome and I won't be complicit by staying silent. It happens in workplaces. And the same responses can be made about bullying. "I don't like what you're doing right now."

You might get a reputation for humorlessness, but you will stop seeming like an easy mark.