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Sarcasm directed at someone is passive-aggressive behavior. Often the recipients of the barely-veiled barb will feign ignorance in order to deprive the person of the satisfaction of seeing the intended recipient get annoyed or upset. The fact that the sarcastic speaker is dumb or arrogant enough to assume that the person they intended to offend didn't get the joke only shows the speaker to be a fool.
The sarcastic types tend to be not as smart as they think, and get tripped up by their own ego.
Sarcasm directed at someone is passive-aggressive behavior. Often the recipients of the barely-veiled barb will feign ignorance in order to deprive the person of the satisfaction of seeing the intended recipient get annoyed or upset. The fact that the sarcastic speaker is dumb or arrogant enough to assume that the person they intended to offend didn't get the joke only shows the speaker to be a fool.
The sarcastic types tend to be not as smart as they think, and get tripped up by their own ego.
That's very true. Sometimes it's easier to ignore the sarcastic comments instead of engage the person. "Smarter" or not, sarcasm isn't always funny to those on the receiving end and in communication, it matters more how someone interprets your comment than how you intended it, IMO.
It also sometimes depends on the part of the country you live. When I lived back east, a lot of people had this sarcastic/dry/sort of insulting humor. New Jersey seems to be the worst for it. On the west coast, this is just not acceptable at all, people think it's very mean. And you don't want to be labeled mean... this is the land of "nice", West coast humor is very subtle or almost non-existent. It took me a long time to adjust but now I really like it this way much better.
When I lived back east, a lot of people had this sarcastic/dry/sort of insulting humor. New Jersey seems to be the worst for it.
My parents, my brother, and my sister, all born and raised in New Jersey, speak (or spoke) nothing but Sarcasm. I hate hearing it, and I try to hide it in my own speech, but I spent the first 18 years of my life there, so sometimes it pops out.
I think a lot of people that don't "get" sarcasm are people that just don't like it. It's been several years, but told me one time that there was a snowstorm in Denver. I said something like, "Really? Gee it NEVER snows there." He went on a tirade for almost an hour about how I don't know the weather anywhere except where I live. He said to somebody in the family, my brother I think, but I may be wrong, that he really hates sarcasm.
When I was growing up, my dad was one of the most sarcastic people I'd ever known and even to this day, that remains the case, but for whatever reason, he has changed to where now he can't stand sarcasm. An argument started between my brother and dad just the other day because my brother made a sarcastic comment to my mom. My mom laughed and made some sarcastic comment back. My dad though, jumped down my brother's throat for making the sarcastic comment.
I agree that a certain subtype of sarcasm and passive-aggressive sarcasm is very much an east coast thing as others have said above. I also see it more in arts and literature college majors. Its often in a show boat of wits like, "i can't believe you're so dumb that you fell for that."
I think a lot of scientific types don't always "get sarcasm" because they are intrigued by the concept and/or are less emotionally reactive. If someone with a very analytical mind heard that it was "snowing in Florida" s/he might respond "really?" However in reality, the totality of her thought may be something like: "wow, that is a fascinating phenomenon, i wonder how that happened? " In this context, people who don't "get sarcasm" are more open minded.
When younger, I personally often fell prey to people talking about false scientific phenomena in a matter of fact way. This seemed to be a certain subset of males' attempts at flirting. When they think that I "didn't get it," they would point out my supposed ignorance and expect me to laugh, thus securing their dominance. To be frank, this happened a lot at state school kegger frat parties vs when smoking weed with MIT or RISD students.
Sarcasm is very close to hyperbole in terms of their usage. Both are greatly over utilized IMHO.
This has to be one of the most depressing threads on City-Data.
I believe the OP started this topic because they wanted to be told that they have a great sense of humor, and those who don't get it are just stupid, dumb and lower forms of life not worth living. Anyone who posted a different point of view (not insulting) was viciously ganged up on and attacked by the OP and various bullies. Some of you could easily be mistaken for internet trolls, with the way you were acting. It's almost unbelievable.
Notice how the article in TracySam's post from three days ago did not even once mention those on the Autism spectrum. And any time someone in this thread posted anything about Autism/Asperger's Syndrome, the post went completely ignored. There's a significant portion of those on the Autism spectrum whom have IQ's of 130 and above, far smarter than the average self-righteous sarcasm-wielding sch'muck. Their brains are just wired differently. I am one of those on the Autism spectrum. I get some sarcasm, most notably when a comedian uses it. There are other times when I get sarcasm, and I just don't find it funny, but rather mean-spirited. For me, sarcasm is a 70/30 deal. 70% of the time, I either don't get it or just don't find it funny. The other 30%, I'll get it and find it hilarious. I utterly despise The Onion. I've been fooled by those fake headlines dozens of times, it's designed to help self-righteous folk feel better about themselves and superior to others, and anybody who doesn't get it feel stupid and deserving of harsh ridicule (very common in this thread).
People's sense of humor are on different levels, and are not comparable. Just because somebody doesn't understand your sarcasm doesn't necessarily make them any less intelligent than you. In fact, be careful who you're talking to. If they're on the high end of the Autism spectrum, odds are they're actually much smarter than you are - so don't make that "I must be smarter than you" assumption. They just have a different sense of humor. They laugh at other things. Granted, there are a lot of people out there who are just stupid. But that's not everybody, and cannot be assessed on the basis of whether they understand your sarcasm or not. Those of you (including the OP) need to get off your high horse, because I'm telling you something that I know you definitely do not want to hear/read - because it does not stroke your ego, which I suspect was the intention of the OP in the first place, two years ago when this thread was started and continues to be the primary purpose of it.
I'd like to think of us as equals. See this as an educational post. I am not attempting to get on any high horse of my own, here. I'm merely trying to tell you that there is more than one way of looking at things, and that your way is not necessarily the right way. Stop acting like petulant children who get mad when things don't go their way. Be responsible adults. Educate yourselves. Treat others how you would like to be treated. This stuff should be common sense. We would all be much happier this way. The willful ignorance in favor of stroking one's own ego & pride demonstrated in this thread is absolutely stunning.
I'm hoping this will put an end to the thread containing the highest concentration of arrogant self-righteousness on City-Data.
^ I agree with everything you say here except for this:
"I'm hoping this will put an end to the thread containing the highest concentration of arrogant self-righteousness on City-Data."
There are unfortunately waaay more arrogant and self righteous threads here! My faves have to do with people cutting off friendships w people who are late or who cancel often- even when they have disabilities that cause them to be so!
Gotta love the way the general public responds to disabilities such as Aspergers and mental illnesses!
My parents, my brother, and my sister, all born and raised in New Jersey, speak (or spoke) nothing but Sarcasm. I hate hearing it, and I try to hide it in my own speech, but I spent the first 18 years of my life there, so sometimes it pops out.
Everyone's got to be fluent in something.
I live in NJ and I hate sarcasm, I don't see it as common as you guys did, maybe it depends where in NJ.
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