It all started with a meme:
I had to laugh. I immediately thought of the Peanuts character Lucy selling psychological advice. Me, I can sell sarcasm. My prices would vary dependent upon light-hearted irony to over-the-top
exaggerations. Heavy sighs and eye rolls will cost extra.
Those of us whose default response is sarcasm jumped all over the quote. Why, of course? Isn’t it obvious? Aren’t we all who thrive on sarcasm geniuses? Echo evil laughter and I am indeed scratching my invisible beard.
But of course, there are the naysayers. Those who see sarcasm as crass and ill-mannered. How is it possible those who employ sarcasm be better equipped to solve problems? As one simply put it, “What problems have I solved with sarcasm?”
Challenge accepted!
Sarcasm itself doesn’t solve problems. No silly. If only we could solve world peace with a breathy sigh and a dramatic eye roll. It is how people who use sarcasm think and process their environment. How I perceived this quote is those who speak in sarcasm are coming from a place of abstract and even absurd thinking. It’s outside the norm of literal and linear thinking, and when a person has a broader sense of their situations, they are able to perceive solutions to problems plaquing them.
Communicating in exaggerations and abstracts helps the mind expand beyond the realm of analytical and fixed solutions. There is never just one way of doing things. There is never just one answer to every problem. There is multiple. If a person’s mind operates in abstracts, the tendency is they will see more solutions.
However, this is just my thoughts on the topics. Curious, I delved deeper.
In his article in the Smithsonian, Michael Chin compares sarcasm to mental gymnastics. We’re not just processing straight-forward communication, we must think harder on what is being communicated. He writes:
Studies have shown that exposure to sarcasm enhances creative problem solving.
BOOM. Drops mic and walks off the stage.
According to the article, sarcasm exercises the brain more so than straight-forward thinking. It really is mental gymnastics. So, take that to all those accused me of double-talk and snarkiness, excuse me while I exercise my brain. And I have to admit a dose of good, old-fashioned sarcasm is an adrenaline rush as it drips through me. Aaaaaahhhhhhhh. Feels good. It’s way easier than jogging and pumping weights. And sarcasm doesn’t require you to break a sweat, although sarcasm does cause some to sweat.
While many of my fellow “sarcastics” shouldn’t be patting ourselves on the back so soon. While sarcasm is a default with many people, others, well let’s say, don’t get it. If we fail to express sincerity, we could create more conflict than intended. Sarcasm and sarcasm detection is an acquired skill. I have felt the wrath of linear-thinking innocents who took my comments sincerely, and I too have been tripped up and offended to what I thought was a serious post. Sadly, even today, when sarcasm is part of our modern lingo, it still needs to be designated - <Sarcasm>.
However, the main reason I thrive on sarcasm is it makes heavy subjects and dare I say life in general easier to comprehend. It’s hard to wrap our minds around what is happening in the world, so the ability to break it down, give it a twist and look at the absurdity of it helps digest it and helps us to deal with it. Laughter makes even the most dramatic situations easier to cope. The danger is when we stop laughing and seeing the absurdity in life.
So, don’t be afraid to pump sarcasm into your daily life. It does a brain good.
exaggerations. Heavy sighs and eye rolls will cost extra.
Those of us whose default response is sarcasm jumped all over the quote. Why, of course? Isn’t it obvious? Aren’t we all who thrive on sarcasm geniuses? Echo evil laughter and I am indeed scratching my invisible beard.
But of course, there are the naysayers. Those who see sarcasm as crass and ill-mannered. How is it possible those who employ sarcasm be better equipped to solve problems? As one simply put it, “What problems have I solved with sarcasm?”
Challenge accepted!
Sarcasm itself doesn’t solve problems. No silly. If only we could solve world peace with a breathy sigh and a dramatic eye roll. It is how people who use sarcasm think and process their environment. How I perceived this quote is those who speak in sarcasm are coming from a place of abstract and even absurd thinking. It’s outside the norm of literal and linear thinking, and when a person has a broader sense of their situations, they are able to perceive solutions to problems plaquing them.
Communicating in exaggerations and abstracts helps the mind expand beyond the realm of analytical and fixed solutions. There is never just one way of doing things. There is never just one answer to every problem. There is multiple. If a person’s mind operates in abstracts, the tendency is they will see more solutions.
However, this is just my thoughts on the topics. Curious, I delved deeper.
In his article in the Smithsonian, Michael Chin compares sarcasm to mental gymnastics. We’re not just processing straight-forward communication, we must think harder on what is being communicated. He writes:
Studies have shown that exposure to sarcasm enhances creative problem solving.
BOOM. Drops mic and walks off the stage.
According to the article, sarcasm exercises the brain more so than straight-forward thinking. It really is mental gymnastics. So, take that to all those accused me of double-talk and snarkiness, excuse me while I exercise my brain. And I have to admit a dose of good, old-fashioned sarcasm is an adrenaline rush as it drips through me. Aaaaaahhhhhhhh. Feels good. It’s way easier than jogging and pumping weights. And sarcasm doesn’t require you to break a sweat, although sarcasm does cause some to sweat.
While many of my fellow “sarcastics” shouldn’t be patting ourselves on the back so soon. While sarcasm is a default with many people, others, well let’s say, don’t get it. If we fail to express sincerity, we could create more conflict than intended. Sarcasm and sarcasm detection is an acquired skill. I have felt the wrath of linear-thinking innocents who took my comments sincerely, and I too have been tripped up and offended to what I thought was a serious post. Sadly, even today, when sarcasm is part of our modern lingo, it still needs to be designated - <Sarcasm>.
However, the main reason I thrive on sarcasm is it makes heavy subjects and dare I say life in general easier to comprehend. It’s hard to wrap our minds around what is happening in the world, so the ability to break it down, give it a twist and look at the absurdity of it helps digest it and helps us to deal with it. Laughter makes even the most dramatic situations easier to cope. The danger is when we stop laughing and seeing the absurdity in life.
So, don’t be afraid to pump sarcasm into your daily life. It does a brain good.
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