You think it is easy not being a smartass? Go ahead and try

I was watching a documentary on Woody Allen's travels through Europe playing Jazz Music. It is one of his passions that not many know about.

They basically followed him everywhere and had full access. 
In addition to the main theme of the movie,  which was watching Allen and his band play New Orleans Jazz music all over Europe,  the movie was also an in depth, up close look into how Woody Allen really is. 
When you watch him you realize that he is just a natural smart ass. He isn't trying to be. That's just him. He made a very derogatory joke about his new wife (also his former stepdaughter) which only a real smart ass who had little control would make. It wasn't the only comment like that. It was a common occurence in the film. He had to know that this was being filmed and she would see and hear it. It didn't seem to bother him one bit. It is who he is and she realizes it. She might not like it, but she wouldn't be surprised by it.
Of course,  when I see that, it is like looking in a mirror for me.
I am that way. No two ways about it. So I got to thinking about that. 
People often say to me and people like me. 

"Can't you just stop, turn it off?"

The truth is that when you are like that, you can't. That is who you are. My responses come quick, quicker than most, because it comes completely natural. For me, the hard part would be to shut it down. Not be like that. It just would feel like I had duct tape on my mouth. That is what it would take to stop it. 
It is who I am. It is who Woody Allen is. People like that (my father was also this way) just do it. It is part of us. It will never look forced because it never is forced.
The real problem we have is when being a smart ass starts to become being a dumb ass. Because as asses, we are happy to be smart,  but loathe being dumb.  
Just like you may be romantic, or sensitive, or extremely passionate or quirky. In most cases it is not something you try to be it is something you are.
Humor is our currency. It is what we do and do well. It feels right to be this way, and to be any other way wouldn't feel right. There is a time and place, but for the most part if you drop us into any situation, we are going to be funny, witty and appear to be smart asses. That is our charm and in some cases not so charming.
It is not something we can shut down. It is part of who we are. For better or worse as our partners and friends find out.