Only what my Mom & Dad always used to tell me: "consider the source." If he's really what you say he is (arrogant, strange, rude, little), then every time he tries to beat you down, just tell yourself "a strange, arrogant, rude, little man just said <insert comment here>." This will take the immediate sting out of it (and might make you laugh, so be careful) and then you can look through the comment for anything meaningful. The bottom line is that some profs are intimidated by students, for a host of reasons. The only thing they have to "fight back" is the sense of power derived from their position. Once you realize that, you start to pity them instead of fearing them...
