Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sarcastic people tend to have trouble converting all that extra wit into cash, since they can't take all the BS too seriously to suck up and just climb the ladder. They either manage their sarcasm or pay the price.
I can see some correlation sarcasm / intelligence on the need to process it and understand it. However, one of the problems is the disconnect in how / when /where sarcasm is used.
For instance, the examples in the article can all be readily envisioned as being used in a variety of environments and they most likely will be understood. But in regular life I think a population engaged in heavy media viewing gets bombarded with glib sarcasm in many different 'pseudo environments' (newsshows / reality shows/ banal sitcoms etc...) and then get acculturated to using it too frequently as lame tool to try to be humorous. (Trimac makes an astute observation).
I think "emotional intelligence", the abillity to discern when / where / how / why sarcasm is used to be very telling. At its core, sarcasm requires an amount of common experience to enable the 'getting' of it. Comedians, Writers etc... know how to effectively use it most of time. Too often when I hear someone in everyday use it seems stilted and lame. It really depends on the environment in which the audience or intended receiver/s of the 'communication' is hearing / reading it. Naturally a more intelligent - i.e. well rounded discerning person will be more effective in interpreting sarcasm.
At its most basic, good communication requires transmission and reception. So when communication is between those having an existing relationship / shared history and the sarcasm involves something common and is delivered in person so there is physical / audible cues - it is more effective. I think what happens is people get conditioned to seeing /hearing it used in media in 'scripted' settings (comedians/ sit coms/ news shows etc...) and mistakenly think they are being funny with people they do not have a relationship with or nor much common shared history / cultural experiences (since in todays world we have so many choices / diversity of what we watch / read / see etc...).
So what happens, is, these one off attempts at sarcasm in the wrong environment / audience often complicates better understanding between people. Just spend some time in certain topic forums!
The fact it has its own emoticon image is also telling for written media "" as it most often does not translate well in this format.
Sarcasm and irony do require intelligence---delivering and understanding. Growing up with sarcasm makes one better at delivery, but people can acquire an understanding of sarcasm even if they weren't exposed to it their entire lives. While some passive aggressive people might be sarcastic, not all people who are sarcastic are passive aggressive. For many, sarcasm is merely humor. When used in anger, it can be very direct and aggressive.
The comment that sarcasm isn't a sophisticated sense of humor made me laugh because it says more about the person who feels that way than it does about those who are sarcastic. In addition to intelligence, sarcasm requires a level of emotional maturity for the recipient. People who are overly sensitive don't understand sarcasm because they take it personally. And then there are people on the autism spectrum who have difficulty understanding sarcasm because they are too literal in their thinking.
As for comments about sarcasm requiring existing relationships between people, it's important to note that broader relationships such as culture, even regional culture, can heavily influence the likelihood that strangers will understand sarcasm, along with social intelligence. Socially gifted people will more readily understand sarcasm of strangers than people who are less gifted socially.
Some people make sarcasm a habit. They aren't intelligent, they just think they sound smart.
You don't have to be smart to get sarcasm or be sarcastic. Sarcastic or ironic humour is way overrated and is a cheap way to get laughs from people without a sophisticated sense of humour.
holy crap! this is probably the most brilliant thing I've ever seen posted on the internet.
Well, if this is true, then I'm a certified genius. I don't do it for laughs though...well, laughs for me, maybe.
And yes, there is a difference between sarcasm and wit although both require some level of quick thinking if the sarcasm is any good.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
" as it most often does not translate well in this format.
