What is Sarcasm? (Definition, Examples from Life)

With the help of sarcasm, people express their struggle with hostile reality, resorting to ridicule of the current situation. The distinctive features of sarcasm are the mercilessness and harshness of the statement. Sarcasm is characterized by a high degree of indignation and hatred, which makes it noticeably different from irony.

In short, in simple words, the word “sarcasm” can be defined as follows:

Sarcasm (translated from Greek σαρκασμός, from σαρκάζ - tearing meat) is a caustic mockery, evil irony, this is when they say one thing, but mean something completely different, this is merciless mockery and evil laughter at the shortcomings of a person, object or phenomenon. Often sarcasm is used with the aim of humiliating, offending a person, and hurting him “for a sore point.”

The most striking synonyms for the word “sarcasm”: remark, ridicule, mockery, mockery, satire.

Examples of using the word

You are on time as always! – an appeal to a person who is always late.

Well, you are truly a master! - may mean that the one to whom the offer is addressed is, on the contrary, not professional in some way.

Thank you, friend, for your help. I didn’t expect anything else... - it is implied that the speaker was never helped by someone who could have helped.

Without you, of course, we wouldn’t have figured it out, yeah! – here we are talking more about the lack of competence of the person being addressed.

Why are you so handsome today? - this is often said to a person, focusing attention on his shortcomings, for example, bags under the eyes or bruises, although sometimes they also mean why the opponent suddenly dressed up like for a holiday.

Baby steps

The complexity of sarcasm is evidenced by its long development in childhood. Penny Pexman confirmed this with puppets.

In her study, a child watches a character named Jane as she tries to draw a rose but ends up with a terrible drawing. “You are an amazing artist,” says the doll’s friend Anne.

As a rule, children under five years old do not recognize sarcasm in these statements and tend to take them literally. And even after they begin to understand that there is a hidden meaning behind words, they may have difficulty understanding the nuances. For example, they may think someone is lying. Understanding that sarcasm is used as a form of teasing comes last. “It develops especially late, around the age of ten,” says Pexman.

This skill follows the emergence of "theory of mind" - the child's ability to understand the intentions of others.

Theory of mind, or theory of understanding consciousness , formulated in 1978 by psychologists David Primack and Guy Woodroof, is the ability to understand that another's mind is different from your own and act accordingly. This includes understanding that other people may not know what you know or have different desires. This ability is limited or absent in people with autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia.

Other factors that influence the understanding of sarcasm include vocabulary, grammar, the ability to detect vocal intonations that signal sarcastic meaning, and the circumstances of situations. The perception of all factors can only come with experience of communication in society. “All of these components must be put together by a child; none of them on their own is sufficient to understand sarcasm,” says Pexman.

Her latest research has shown that a child's home environment influences their understanding and use of sarcasm. If parents use this language tool, children are much more likely to develop this ability on their own.

"Around age four, children develop the ability to take another person's point of view and understand that it is different from their own," says Pexman. Sarcasm is difficult in that the child must understand both the speaker's actual belief and his interpretation. This is a two-step process that takes time for the child to master. Children under seven years of age have difficulty holding two potentially conflicting ideas in their heads.

By adolescence, many children have mastered these complex skills—and, unsurprisingly, they enjoy experimenting with them.

For what purpose is sarcasm used?

1. There is an opinion that sarcasm is a kind of hostility, which is used mainly to insult, destroy morally, offend, without ruining one’s reputation. Sometimes a person does this purposefully, without any reason, following his emotions, due to a negative attitude towards the interlocutor. And sometimes for some kind of offense, since he does not have the opportunity to present his claims or hint to him about his mistakes. This is one of the ways to throw out negative emotions on your opponent, while turning into an “energy vampire.”

2. Sometimes behind sarcasm there is a sensitive and defenseless person who uses the sarcastic style as a defense in a critical situation or if he feels danger from his interlocutor and, seeing no other way out, is the first to strike in order to prevent a blow from his opponent with such behavior.

3. Some people, using such tactics, believe that this creates the image of a wayward, domineering, tough person who can afford much more than others. An example of this can be some heroes of feature films. However, it is worth remembering that this is just a fictional character.

4. In certain sections of society, sarcasm is the norm. This applies to politics, the press and some other areas of activity. Large corporations also do not disdain “verbal duels” in which an employee either supports or is thrown “overboard”.

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How to respond to sarcasm?

● There is no need to react emotionally and be offended - this will only bring your defeat closer.

● Humor is considered the most successful defense; it can relieve emotional stress and help avoid conflict. A funny joke in response to the most sophisticated sarcasm is a win-win option; it will instantly relieve a person from the desire to show sarcasm.

● The ignoring method works in most cases - simply not noticing the person's sarcastic barbs.

● It also helps to increase your vocabulary, watching comic shows and comedy films, in which you can find various funny and caustic aphorisms, so that at the right moment everything can be turned into a joke.

● One of the most effective ways to combat sarcasm is to agree with it and not give your opponent the opportunity to splash out aggression.

Related materials:

humor | jokes | irony | sarcasm | sense of humor | reaction | situation | psychologist | resentment | target | Health

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The benefits of sarcasm

According to some psychologists, not everyone can use sarcasm correctly. The ability to subtly make fun of a person’s misdeeds and different situations is a talent and a sign of high intelligence. Below are interesting facts about a person who uses sarcasm in his communication.

● Such people in most teams will enjoy everyone's attention.

● Such a person is very resourceful and can always show ingenuity.

● A sarcastic person is very insightful and almost impossible to deceive.

● In the most difficult and difficult situation, he will almost always find an original way out.

● Such a person has few friends, but they are real, because they withstood his mockery and continue to endure them.

● People around you become better people thanks to these kinds of people.

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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What is sarcasm in relationships?

This topic is quite relevant in relation to children, adolescents, and in general when communicating with loved ones; sarcasm is also often used by employees at work. The question “What is sarcasm in relationships?” should not be ignored. Remember that a sarcastic attitude towards children is not always appropriate, because it is often difficult for a child to understand what is said seriously and what is not. Watching the laughing faces, he begins to feel offended. Moreover, he has to learn not to trust his feelings.

As for sarcasm in adult relationships... you can often find a picture when a loved one in a company begins to openly verbally humiliate or ridicule their loved one. Everyone around him thinks it’s a joke, and meanwhile the victim feels criticism directed at him. Such humiliating conditions should be stopped. It is imperative to talk about what you experienced with the offender, because otherwise your partner’s behavior will remain the same.

Signs and examples

Some people can't tell the difference between satire and serious conversation. But it's very easy to tell the difference. Signs of a sarcastic statement:

• rude, aggressive and angry tone of voice;
• fluctuations in the sound and timbre of speech;
• sharpness;
• brevity (only one word can be said);
• indifference of the speaker (he doesn’t care whether he offends a person or not);
• hidden meaning (seemingly an expression of gratitude, but said in a rough voice);
• absence of even a hint of laughter or smile (a sarcastic remark is always delivered as a serious speech, sometimes with a sad, strained or disappointed smile);
• Schadenfreude (after the statement, a person can laugh, as if he were a villain from some cartoon).

So, sarcasm is a caustic joke with evil intentions that helps to express hostility. Aphorisms are built on its basis. Also, a satirical technique helps to win an argument and avoid assault or confrontation.

Examples of sarcasm in literature and life:

1. “Where, tell us, are the fathers of the Fatherland whom we should recognize as models? Aren’t these the ones who are rich in robbery…” (A.S. Griboyedov).
2. “Well, thank you, I helped, so to speak.”
3. “We are rich, barely from the cradle, in the mistakes of our fathers and their late minds. The bitter mockery of a deceived son over a squandered father” (M. Yu. Lermontov).
4. "My condolences. He will live a long time and will get you to the fullest” (from the movie “House M.D.”).
5. “Many people complain about their appearance, but no one complains about their brains” (Faina Ranevskaya).
6. “I remember one artist spoke at our meeting and talked about nothing for about an hour. When he finished, they applauded him out of politeness and immediately heard the voice of Arnold, who with inimitable intonation said about the speaker: “Why do I love him? For brevity!” (Yu. Nikulin “Almost Seriously”).
7. “Thank you for being on time” (when the person was late).
8. And here is an interesting sarcastic expression about the meaning of the word sarcasm: “Sarcasm is the ability to praise a person so that he is very offended by you.”

A sarcastic phrase begins with a positive statement (the first part), and ends with an expression of ridicule, anger, anger towards some phenomenon or hero, his actions (in the second part). The basis is a heightened contrast between the spoken words and the hidden meaning.

In simple words, this is hidden mockery aimed at humiliation and humiliation. The technique is especially often used in journalism, since this genre itself is aimed at hooking people to the living, pointing out the pain and depth of some problem.

Often sarcastic expressions are on the verge of a foul. They offend and touch people's heartstrings and can ruin friendly, love and business relationships, so in real life it is recommended to use this technique with great caution. If you want to point out the shortcomings of a loved one and maintain a relationship with him, then it is better to choose another method.

Sarcasm as emotional abuse

Unlike bruises left on the body as a result of physical abuse, sarcasm tends to cause invisible changes in a person's personality, which can lead to significant changes in terms of attitude towards other people. What is sarcasm and why does it hurt so much?

One dictionary says that sarcasm is the highest degree of caustic irony, the basis of which is veiled criticism and the comic nature of a joke. It is equivalent to a minor assault, but is considered the basis for a quarrel.

It can play a role in survival

The inability to recognize other people's teasing is more of a disadvantage than a help in today's society. Researchers note that sarcasm can be seen as a survival ability during evolution. And all because it has a critical role in social communication. In general, sarcastic remarks are simply part of human behavior at this stage of development.

Let's sum it up

As you understand, sarcasm is a mockery that often looks like a positive judgment, but always has a negative connotation and indicates some shortcoming of a person, object or phenomenon. Simply put, sarcasm is something like flattery, but expressed in a more humorous and cruel form. For example, after thinking about how monstrous your sneakers look, a person says: “Look, your sneakers are so cool!”, and after making such a speech, the person smiles, as if making a joke out of his expression.

Maintain sincerity in your interactions with people, expressing your opinion directly and excluding sarcasm, and life will become much brighter and more interesting!

Related concepts

We've sorted out sarcasm, now let's see how it differs from things like irony, sardonic laughter and cynicism.

Irony

What is irony and what are examples of its use? Let's start with the fact that this is a technique in which, just like in sarcasm, what is said is the opposite of the intended meaning.

It has several forms: direct irony, self-irony and post-irony, when sincerity becomes difficult to distinguish from a satirical device.

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The toughest and most evil of them is sarcasm, which we talked about above. The most striking examples of direct irony:

“Well, thank you, I helped! “- this is what they say to a person who accidentally harms someone.

The answer to a question about something boring and uninteresting: “Yeah, that’s all I think about.”

A message about something unpleasant: “I love a stick like a dog.”

Sardonic laughter

Although they sound similar, don't confuse the words "sarcastic" and "sardonic." Sarcasm is the most offensive verbal irony, expressed in a caustic tone. Sardonic means “cynical” or “mocking.”

Therefore, sarcasm is often sardonic. When a character uses sarcasm to make fun of someone else, it is a sardonic comment. However, the key difference is that a sardonic comment is not necessarily ironic. He can tell exactly what the speaker means, just in a mocking tone. For example:

I did not attend the funeral, but sent a letter saying I approved of it.

Mark Twain

This remark by Twain is certainly mocking: it expresses his dissatisfaction with the deceased in a rather harsh form. But this is not irony or sarcasm. This statement is much closer to witty directness and brutal honesty than to sarcasm.

Cynicism

Although cynicism is synonymous with sardonicity, it is a philosophy of life, while sardonicity is only a tone. Cynicism originally meant “appreciating the simple things in life,” but then this definition was absorbed into a new meaning.

Nowadays, cynicism usually refers to a self-centered and negative outlook on life. Cynical people tend to be skeptical and disdainful of sentimentality and “positive thinking.”

But despite all these negative connotations, cynical people often become extremely popular television characters. This is probably due to the fact that cynical, sardonic and sarcastic remarks often cause laughter.

• Author: Maria Minaeva