I'm enjoying reading these posts and am digesting a lot. What a terrific group!
What flusters me endlessly is when people respond indignantly with an attitude that I really owe an answer. I'm over 35 and for some reason, a lot of people ask my age in social situations. Sometimes I smile and say, "I'm over 21 if you were going to offer me a glass of wine" (I'm a married female and only say this to other females), which produces a chuckle and then a response like, "No, really, I'm serious." One time I just said, "It doesn't matter," only to be told that I must be very sensitive about my age or must be going through "the change." At that point, I can never say anything that won't get me in a lot of trouble.
Social bullies is really what those people are, and my problem is that, due to professional reasons, I really can't afford to offend them.
What do I say to someone who ignores all communication that I simply don't want to answer the question? I'm often made to feel like I'm hiding something if I don't reply with a direct answer. I become so embarrassed and frustrated that I fail to produce any intelligent response.