The Mental Emotional Health Blog

I suppose sarcasm is considered a form of humor. Unlike light-hearted humor though, sarcasm takes on an edgy quality. If a statement is really sarcastic, a common description is that the statement was “dripping with sarcasm”. That doesn’t sound too fun.

The reason I mentioned the edgy quality to sarcasm in the previous paragraph is because the edginess is negative, even if intended to be funny. Negativity affects you mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. Following my line of logic here, when you are sarcastic you are probably having a negative influence on yourself and others.

Which would you prefer to hear of the following 2 examples?

1) Oh, you did the dishes. Thanks.

2) You did the dishes?! Wow, that’s not a surprise because you always do the dishes, don’t you?

Consider these 2 definitions of sarcasm from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. I have underlined certain words for emphasis:

“1: a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain“

“2 a: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual“

How much sarcasm do you use on a daily basis? Do you use it rarely, frequently, or only around certain people? Making basic communication adjustments can increase your positivity and decrease negativity. Eliminating sarcasm from your conversations is a great step toward feeling better about yourself and others.