Why Sarcastic People Have Actually Been Proven to Be Smarter
Sarcasm means saying one thing but hiding another meaning on a deeper level. Some sarcastic people simply cover their true emotions under witty and ironic remarks. Some use it as armor to deal with the stupidity around them.
Sarcasm, irony, and satire can provide excellent opportunities to insult idiots without they even realizing it. Given that using physical violence or trying to set a dictatorship can get you arrested in modern society, sarcasm is a wise and reasonable choice.
The comment “I didn’t climb the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian, but I can make an exception for you” might sound really nice on the surface. But didn’t the speaker just offend the core of someone’s lifestyle (and maybe even trick that person into thanking them for it)? Sarcastic people have mastered the ability to deliver gentle insults – and still make people laugh.
Are you the kind of person who gets called a “smart ass” a lot? I can’t even count how many times I’ve been called a “sarcastic piece of sh*t,”, “smart ass”,” mean jerk” – or worse. However, sarcasm is just a part of my nature – I don’t even consider changing it. And you shouldn’t either! If I’m coming up with quick quips to snap back at you,—yes, in fact, I may be a jerk—but a very sharp jerk.
According to recent studies by Smithsonian Magazine, it has been scientifically proven that we smart asses are in fact smarter! Do you wonder how a sarcastic attitude can be linked to higher intelligence? Richard Chin (in his study for the Smithsonian) explained that people who use sarcasm often work their brains harder than other people.
Sarcastic minds work differently than regular minds; they actually work double. Making sarcastic comments requires greater observation and analytical skills. Sarcastic people think one step ahead of others. They not only grasp a situation—they can also see alternative aspects which might be lacking.
This kind of mental gymnastics trains the sarcastic mind to observe better and think faster. Satirical, sarcastic, or ironic statements prove one’s capability to “think beyond the literal meaning of the words and understand that the speaker may be thinking of something entirely different”. Just as you tone your muscles, the extra mental activity you get in the form of sarcasm “tones” your brain. If you lift weights 100 times a day, your arms will get stronger over time. In the same way, your brain “gets toned” after the “extra work” of sarcasm.
Ok, it makes sense. But what if my sarcastic mind wants more proof? Here it is: in one experiment, scientists attached electrodes to a people’s brains to see how they reacted to sarcastic and non-sarcastic statements. Electrical activity levels increased in their brain when test subjects were exposed to sarcastic remarks. Really? Who would have guessed that…?
People who use sarcasm don’t just have great minds, they have thick skins. They are smart enough not to take everything to heart. They develop a proper distance from the world around them and don’t burst out into tears when they tease each other or a person dares to poke them. They can give as good as they get.
“Sarcastic people” have friends that truly love them. Who, without honest admiration for a person, would take a dose of sarcasm every day? The friends of sarcastic people are more intelligent than average people. Sarcasm is a kind of hobby, like playing table tennis—with wit instead of a ball.
To add a pinch of salt to this over-the-top description of sarcastic people, they expect to the higher intelligence and tend to be more aggressive, as revealed by Albert Katz, a cognitive psychologist from the University of Western Ontario.
Use your sarcasm carefully. After all, there might not be any other “smart asses” around you—don’t be the only one laughing. Keep in mind that the world is full of people with no distance to themselves. They may simply not get your point or be incapable of and admitting, “Yes, there’s more than a pinch of truth to your ironic remark.”
However—please, don’t ever change. Sometimes only these private jokes can save you from annoying situations—providing a humorous respite from even the sh*ttiest situations.
