Updated July 24, 2022 394 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Surely many have heard the expression “words can hurt more than deeds.” This is true.
Some people are capable of inflicting a strong emotional blow on another person with just a couple of phrases. Shame him, make others laugh at him.
And at the same time, we are not talking about banal rudeness or swearing. In this case, a more subtle weapon - sarcasm.
Sarcasm is good for brain health
According to neurologists from the University of California, if a person is completely unable to perceive sarcasm, this may be a signal of the development of a brain disease. Therefore, they recommend training in the ability not only to understand, but also to speak using sarcasm. For the sake of your own health.
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Examples of sarcasm in life
If you ask yourself a question and enter something like “sarcasm examples” into a search engine, the output will be something like: “111 examples of sarcasm.” The main thing to understand is that sarcasm is not something you can save just in case. It should be unexpected, spontaneous. To better understand this, let's look at small examples from life.
For example, if we are talking about an event that you clearly do not like, say an unwanted trip to a picnic in the forest, you can answer: “Well, yes! There is nothing better in the world than driving to feed mosquitoes! I really love it!” Here “I absolutely love it” was sarcasm.
Or you can use a sarcastic question: “Do you really think I'm crazy about this?” Or something like that.
This technique gives you several advantages in conversation:
1. You can subtly change the topic.
2. You make the person feel awkward.
3. You paint the question as outrageous or ridiculing.
Thus, by correctly using sarcasm, in particular, questions based on it, you can set the tone of the entire dialogue. In addition, such questions are usually perceived more gently.
For example, they are trying to give you some instructions, say, to go to the store. And you really don’t want to go to the store. What to do? Just say something like: “Do you really think that I can transform my navigator from a comfortable sofa to a store?”
The main thing with sarcastic questions is to give a hint about your intention or desire, or lack thereof. The hint can be highlighted by intonation.
Unfortunately, many people verbally bully people simply under the guise of sarcasm. It is important to understand that obvious mockery is not sarcasm. It's closer to an insult or something like that. Therefore, it is important to understand what sarcasm is.
A sarcastic joke hidden behind an exaggerated substitution of a concept is sarcasm. Direct insult is not sarcasm.
Therefore, if you like to make fun of the shortcomings of your friends or loved ones, do it more subtly. It is very easy to hurt a person, but you will apologize.
For example, your friend decided to change his hairstyle. You think that she doesn’t suit him at all and want to tease him. An excellent option would be the phrase: “Cool hairstyle! You look like Keanu Reeves at his worst."
Your phrase may be similar in content or identical. It is important to supposedly praise the person, but at the same time make it clear that this is not so. Emphasize your joke with intonation so that the hint becomes clearer.
You can be sarcastic in almost any situation, with the exception of formal dialogue. If you think sarcasm is appropriate, great, go for it! The main thing is not to overdo it with causticity. Otherwise, not very happy consequences await you.
As mentioned, sarcasm should be spontaneous, unexpected. This is a sign of a good sense of humor. Of course, no one forbids preparing several phrases and using them at the appropriate moment. But such a moment may not come. And it’s impossible to guarantee that the prepared joke will be good. It's better not to joke with sarcasm. I propose to analyze whether it is good to use sarcasm in everyday life or not.
Their friends really love them
Sarcasm is a great way to test your company. Not everyone can constantly endure an endless stream of sarcasm, controversial jokes and jokes. Yes, sometimes making friends with a sarcastic person is not so easy. But rest assured, it's a lot of fun! Isn't it great to have jokes that only you understand?
Well, if you yourself are a sarcastic person, rest assured that your friends really love you. Without this feeling, no one would tolerate you for so long.
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What is sarcasm in simple words?
Sarcasm is, in simple words, the substitution of things, concepts and an unambiguous hint of this substitution. Taken together, this technique is called sarcasm. Sarcasm is the highest degree of irony.
In everyday life, sarcastic expressions tend to have a more rude and obviously mocking tone. It is expressed by deeper intonation emphasis and is often accompanied by hyperbole. That is, this is a kind of exaggerated substitution of the true meaning, said with a clear hint of the substitution itself.
For example, if you see a warmly dressed person in hot weather, you can say: “Why do we go without a fur coat in the summer?” This phrase involves exaggeration, because a fur coat is a rather warm piece of clothing. A substitution of the concept is involved: instead of the question: “why is he dressed so warmly?” the opposite meaning is given, but with a clear hint of the essence.
Sarcasm, from a psychological point of view, is a tool of deconfrontation. That is, when expressing emotions directly is difficult, you can use overt sarcasm and thus express your thoughts more gently. Although sarcasm is used to mock a person or situation, it is perceived in a softer and more intelligible way.
It is important to understand that the hallmark of sarcasm is its monotony. This means that after using this technique, a person should have a correct understanding of what was said. This can be achieved through direct hints. And now returning to the question of what the word sarcasm means, we can answer that sarcasm means a humorous phrase with the opposite meaning. From this it becomes clear that the meaning of the word sarcasm lies not in the tearing of the flesh, but in the breaking of the template.
An important aspect for the use of sarcasm is the perception of the person to whom the sarcastic message is addressed.
► Let’s look at this point using the example of the famous television series “The Big Bang Theory”. The series itself, in its comedy component, relies heavily on irony and sarcasm.
► So, the main character is Sheldon, a brilliant, but completely unsocialized person. He does not understand hints and perceives everything directly. This was demonstrated to the audience during the legendary "sarcasm" sign scene.
► But sometimes he gives out gorgeous pearls like: “Misunderstanding? It was Galileo and the Pope who had a misunderstanding.” By the way, take it for yourself. Sheldon doesn't understand sarcasm, so his friend Leo constantly has to tell him that the phrase was sarcastic. Therefore, if you use irony and sarcasm in your speech, you must be sure that your interlocutor will understand you. Otherwise, things could take a completely different turn.
They have a sharp mind
In an article that Richard Chin wrote for the Smithsonian Institution, he explained that the human brain has to work harder to understand sarcasm. This means that people who use irony train their intellect a little more diligently than you do. So a friend who pesters you with caustic ridicule in order to tease you may be insolent, but he is a witty insolent.
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They see right through others
According to research by Dr. Sheiman-Soori, a psychologist at the University of Haifa, “understanding the state of mind and emotions of other people is directly related to our ability to understand sarcasm.” Yes, this means that sarcastic people are able to see through your true motives, no matter how hard you try to show off.
If they make a sarcastic remark when you say, “I'm late because...”, then they probably don't believe you. These comrades quite easily figure out secret motives and know which strings to press in order to evoke the emotions they need. This ability is akin to powerful telepathy. We've warned you.
Purposes and signs of sarcasm
As you can understand from these examples, sarcasm is used when they want to achieve the following result:
- Depreciation of a person and his intellectual abilities;
- Condemning a person, his behavior or actions;
- Making fun of a situation and the behavior of other people in this situation.
At the same time, a person who uses sarcasm subconsciously puts himself above others. And he seems to be saying that such shortcomings are not characteristic of him, which means he is better than those whom he ridicules.
Recognizing sarcasm is sometimes not easy. But it has a number of distinct features. For example, there is always acrimony and some form of ruthlessness.
You can even say that this joke, which is always pronounced with a serious face, is funny to anyone, but not to the person against whom it is directed.
It is interesting that sarcasm is sometimes used against a person towards whom the interlocutor feels intense dislike and even hatred. This is a way to tease, humiliate and ridicule your “enemy”, but without getting personal and using direct insults.
They can subtly insult you while making you laugh
Comments like, “I didn’t climb to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian, but I can make an exception for you” really only sound good until you start thinking about what you’re saying. He’s just making fun of your lifestyle, and you should say “thank you!” to him, right?
They can make someone laugh out loud at a phrase they say, and then watch with pleasure as people gradually realize that they have been insulted. If you've never found yourself in this situation before, it's worth a try.
Sarcasm: good or bad?
First of all, it is worth noting that sarcasm is a tool. Like any other tool, in some hands it will bring benefit, in others it will bring grief. Therefore, it is impossible to say directly: is sarcasm good or not? It all depends on the person. If he allows himself to stoop to the level of ridiculing other people, that is definitely bad. If sarcasm is used for fun communication and a softer expression of emotions or experiences, this is good.
Of course, good and evil are purely subjective concepts, but there are specific frameworks. Sarcasm bordering on cynicism or poisonous sarcasm is clearly not good. If someone stoops to the level of arrogant and contemptuous ridicule with the help of sarcasm, then you should not take him as a serious person and focus on his words.
On the other hand, sarcasm works very well as a defense mechanism. By replacing concepts, you can easily respond to any trouble in life. Thus, you can deceive your subconscious if you use such a joke to replace a bad concept with a good one. The brain won’t understand anything anyway, but it will become easier for you.
Check it out for yourself: try, when it’s raining and it takes you by surprise, say: “amazing! How I love this damn rain. Just joy to the brim,” and you will notice how after a short laugh you will immediately feel better.
Sarcasm is a powerful weapon that, when used correctly, produces amazing results. How can you become a sarcastic person? Let's learn together.
