Sarcasm sours, lacks understanding
Margo Vigeant
If you back your car into a fire hydrant by accident, it’s pretty embarrassing. If you have a sarcastic father like mine who calls you FHM for “Fire Hydrant Margo,” it’s even worse.
But fire hydrant aside, it’s my father’s sarcasm that stings, hurts even, sometimes.
So where is the line between humorous and unacceptable sarcasm?
Whether it’s a personal joke, an attempt to cheer someone up or just an outlet to say what’s on your mind, smart aleck remarks in some cases can be misconstrued.
For example, while it may seem innocent enough to tease friends for their appearance, from height and weight to race and body structure, it’s important to keep in mind that the responses can and will vary.
Some laugh it off and take no offense, while others may be more affected by it and react in a negative way.
These reactions are a result of personal struggles or sensitivity to the subject being brought up.
Also, each person’s response depends on his or her personality and level of tolerance.
People develop a certain amount of understanding towards jokes and criticism, while others simply do not.
There can be serious consequences when sarcasm is harmful and below the belt.
So is it worth that extra joke, that extra snide remark? And even if the remark is small, why risk it? Are we doing it because of peer influence or for personal gain?
Whatever the reason, whoever the perpetrator, let’s remember that actions can affect others.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m pretty sarcastic. And I also think it’s safe to say, that we’re all sarcastic. We’re college students, it’s in our blood.
As human beings, we are all vulnerable and naturally insecure. And as unfortunate and catch-22 as it may seem, we all use snide humor as a defense to cover up our own insecurities and then in turn, prey upon others’.
Instead of judging someone and assuming they understand where you are coming from, it would be best if we developed a level of tolerance for each other.
By no means does that mean we all have to be friends and hang out with each other. If that were the case, wars would be non-existent and Obama and McCain would be the best of friends.
But if we could all relate with each other and remember that sarcasm is meant with an undertone of jest and humor, we could avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
It could make a huge difference in someone’s life today.
Margo Vigeant is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. She can be reached at editor@sagebrush.com.
This entry was posted
on Monday, October 13th, 2008 at 11:12 pm and is filed under Perspectives.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Print this post
Email this post© 2008 The Nevada Sagebrush
