If sarcasm is a language that comes naturally to you, you’ll be happy to hear that there can actually be some surprising benefits of utilizing it. According to Scientific American, people are often cautioned against using it to maintain their personal and professional relationships. The last thing you want to do is hurt anyone’s feelings!
But when executed cleverly and inoffensively, research suggests that using sarcasm might actually increase your creativity. In fact, it can even boost the creativity of both the person making a sarcastic remark and the person they’re communicating with.
As far as why sarcasm might be the key to unlocking creativity, Scientific American notes that it forces us to actually use our brains to understand the meaning of what someone has said. You can’t take a satirical comment at face value because the speaker doesn’t want you to listen to what they’re saying literally.
We must quickly think on our feet when using or deciphering sarcasm. And, of course, when used among friends or loved ones, sarcasm can actually be quite hilarious. It can break the tension in a stressful moment and remind those around you not to take life too seriously. As long as everyone is in on the joke, sarcasm can be harmless!
There are risks to relying too heavily on sarcasm, though. Poised warns that there is a time and a place when speaking with satire is appropriate, and it’s usually best to avoid sarcasm at all costs while at work. Colleagues might not understand that you’re being sarcastic, or they might get offended if they find your “clever” remarks rude. There will always be a small risk that your sarcasm won’t land, and this can lead to some uncomfortable situations or a one-on-one meeting with HR.
We also need to be careful when deciding to use sarcasm over email or text. Without being able to see your facial expressions and hear the tone of your voice, the message can easily be misinterpreted. And if you're an avid sarcasm user, be aware that it might become difficult to turn your sarcastic side off. If you start responding with sarcastic comments every time someone speaks to you, that can become an impulse. And it can be harder and harder to be authentic.
Where sarcasm can pose issues in personal relationships is when it is perceived as being passive aggressive, GoodTherapy warns. Instead of asking your roommate to wash the dishes, you might make a snarky remark along the lines of, “I see you’re building an impressive dirty dish castle in the sink.” This might hurt their feelings, when a simple, direct but polite, request would have solved the issue without creating more tension.
Sarcasm lovers also have to be careful when using it with their romantic partner. Of all people, you should feel comfortable being genuine and vulnerable with your significant other. So if they want to have a serious conversation, and you decide to respond with sarcasm, it can hurt their feelings and damage the relationship. There’s nothing wrong with using sarcasm from time to time, but remember, it’s not always appropriate.
