Sarcasm-Chasm
Rachel recently observed something about myself that I hadn't particularly noticed. I'm becoming less sarcastic these days. I really have had little time for self-reflection on a number of things but this is at the top of the list for furture probing. I suppose Rachel is correct. I have no idea why though. While sarcasm is still a chunk of my persona, other things are moving in and taking up residency. Perhaps this is just leaving mid-twenties and to usher in the late twenties. Perhaps it is simply learning enough to know that I don't know enough to be as cynical as I thought was valid in times past.
Anyway, in the future I plan to probe the idea of 'sarcasm.' I hope it is as soon as this summer. I really want to wrestle with its value. What is its positive and negative effects? How can it be used productively and how can it cause set backs in social, theological, emotional, physical development? I ask because my generation loves sarcasm...but the one after mine seems to love it even moreso. This is not a rant-just an observation from my own personal experience. I want to know the good, bad and ugly for sarcasm. I throw this thought out there in a fairly nebulous way for the readers. What are your thoughts- sarcasm, yay or nay? How is it useful for you? Is it a useful took for you? In what ways? Does it have any unpleasant side-effects in your perception? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
3 Comments:
I'm a nay on the sarcasm. I use it sometimes, but have tried to cut back drastically in the past few years. It just seems to me to be a bitter, unkind thing to do, especially with friends. It's mocking something. Not so much the encouraging conversations we're called to in the Bible.
It was SO GOOD to see you guys last weekend!
I think, Do you value you "cleverness" or "compassion" more? is a good question to ask. Maybe distinguishing between expressing sarcasm, cynicism, irony, or facetiousness in any given situation would help you construct some general rules. I like the book of Jonah . . . which seems pretty ironic if not sarcastic. It might even hurt someone's feelings if they identify with Jonah, but it would probably end in encouragement. So, I think it's more important how you use sarcasm than whether you use it at all. Still, I can understand how limiting sarcasm in your everyday speech would probably be a good thing.
Thanks for the vulnerable and provacative post. It only just dawned on me, and it's ironic, that vulnerability is not usually a characteristic of the sarcasm that I usually hear.
Jason
Nice comment Jason. When I am sarcastic it is usually a defense mechanism. I use in many cases to protect myself from being vulnerable. It is much easier to be sarcastic than to be real.
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