This Scientifically Proves What All Sarcastic People Have Going For Them
Great news! If you’re fluent in sarcasm, all of those years you’ve sent making snarky remarks are finally paying off. According to the American Psychological Association, being able to read sarcasm (and use it like a pro) is actually a sign that you’re super intelligent and creative.
YES, you can now add being a smart ass to your repertoire! Researchers conducted a series of three studies where they analyzed the effects that anger and sarcasm have on the brain.
Sounds pretty sexy so far, right? Well, here’s where things get interesting.
After being separated into different groups, participants listened to audio recordings of customers who either expressed their frustrations using an angry tone or a sarcastic one.
Studies found that the participants who listened to the angry customer had a higher success rate at “solving analytic problems, but [were] less successful in solving creative problems compared to participants who listened to an emotionally-neutral customer.”
So, this basically means that being a sarcastic jerk — or being able to keep up with the wisecracks that people throw your way — puts you ahead of the game. This proves what we knew all along, DUH. After all, cracking the code on your friend’s angry mood is so much more fun when an extra layer of sarcasm is involved.
The American Psychological Association even backs this up by saying that “comprehending sarcastic expressions requires more cognitive effort and complex thinking than understanding direct anger. Cognitive effort is required both to decode the literal meaning of the words and to interpret the nuances of the speaker’s intended and often contradictory meaning.”
Did you hear that? Looks like irony isn’t just for the hipsters.