Are Sarcastic People the Worst?

Sarcasm is literally the best. Used as a primary mode of communication by many people following the pop culture, it is like a warm fuzzy kitten or a cup of hot coffee on a rainy afternoon. It is an amazing way of making everyone around you love you and will totally earn you more friends.

I am, of course being sarcastic. Most of the people I’ve come across don’t understand sarcasm and even if they do, they don’t appreciate it. Whenever I am told something controversial or ignorant, my mind switches on its self-defense and completely relies upon sarcasm. The people who fail to understand always come up with this smug face of theirs and say, “Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.”

Yes, indeed. Oscar Wilde was quoted saying that but that’s only the first half of the quote. ‘Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but the highest form of intelligence’ is the entire quote. But of course, the smarter people would want to crop out the other half to benefit them. To many, they can’t help but answer a question sarcastically and it is as important as breathing.

As annoying as sarcastic comments can be (to someone who doesn’t understand sarcasm, of course), there are many benefits of using sarcasm as your primary form of communication.

The Thought process of sarcastic people is on another level. Brains have to work much harder to come up with a sarcastic remark because the anecdote that comes out, is most of the times the contradiction of the literal statement. Brains of sarcastic souls are thus much sharper as they get to exercise it quite often. They are also related to abstract thinking.

Sarcasm makes people more creative. Why the lowest form of wit, sarcasm should enhance creativity, you’ll ask. The answer is quite easy: because the brain needs to think creatively in order to deliver the snarky comment about how reasonable your ideologies are or how beautiful the colour looks on you. Sarcastic people recognise many more possibilities. Sarcasm allows the mind to expand its horizons. This is a procedure that simulates the creative thinking and is eased by the concept of controverting the literal statement, which thus encourages creative thinking.

Through series of MRIs, scientists have found that sarcasm resides in the parahippocampal gyrus, which is largely associated with the memory part of the brain. Understanding other people’s state of mind and emotions is directly related to our ability of understanding sarcasm. They are brilliant at emotional welfare. If the person you’re lying to responds with a sarcastic reply, they most certainly don’t believe you.

Apart from having greater EQ, they also have a thicker skin. They do not take everything to the heart. Not only can they throw punches, they can also take them. All the friends and people around them are affected by the snarky comments passed by the sarcastic friend. Studies show that people friends with sarcastic people show more signs of creativity and their brain activity is increased because even they become sarcastic.

This is how sarcastic people are the worst (sarcasm intended). Although they are frowned upon by many, they tend to be little marshmallows on the inside of the armour of sarcasm. Don’t worry, be sarcastic.

Written by Durva Bhatt

A bibliophile who is fuelled entirely by caffeine, sarcasm, fandoms and random thoughts.