While some people consider sarcasm to be a genius form of wit although used to mock people, others believe that sarcasm is nothing but hostility disguised as a form of humor. With these two divided opinions, what do we actually know about sarcasm?
Stay tuned and we’re going to explore the psychology of sarcasm in brief and then provide you with 7 awesome ways to help you deal with a sarcastic person.
If you have already done your research on sarcastic people psychology and discovered that sarcasm is widely viewed as a low form of wit, yet a high form of intelligence, I can only imagine how confused you must be right now. First of all, you should know that in most cases, sarcasm is used in a humorous way.
Those who use sarcasm with the only purpose to make you laugh are true masters of sarcasm and are totally harmless for you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that sarcasm cannot be hurtful for you and make you feel uncomfortable. A sarcastic person who uses words as their daggers disguised as humor can bring you down in a blink of an eye.
Ways to Deal with Sarcastic Friends
Scientists have discovered that people who have sarcastic comments in their arsenal use sarcasm only to cover some negative feelings, such as anger, inadequacy or envy. Whether we like to admit it or not, we’ve all dealt with a sarcastic person at some point in our lives that we couldn’t stand. Their sarcasm usually comes in a specific false-humor form designed to mock us, but not directly. So how did you handle the situation? Did you let them bring you down?
Never mind, forget about it. Next time you find yourself in such situation, use one of the following ways to deal with sarcastic people, each perfectly suitable for different circumstances and different people (because you can’t just ignore your sarcastic boss).
Act Like You Misunderstand Sarcasm
If you want to drive your sarcastic friend crazy, pretend like you don’t understand sarcasm at all. Whether only for laughs or some other reason, sarcastic people just hate it when their targets don’t get their sarcastic remarks or they don’t work on you. Respond to their sarcasm with the opposite of sarcasm – sincerity.
They may think you’re not smart for being unable to understand sarcasm, but that is a price worth paying if it serves the purpose. Whenever they pull a sarcastic comment, act like you misunderstand sarcasm and blow their top off.
Ignorance Is a Bliss
When sarcasm is used with the only goal of mocking you, the best way to deal with it is to ignore it. Although ignoring sarcastic people might seem like one of the most difficult things in the world, when mastered, the ignoring-skill can be an efficient way to deal with sarcasm.
Taking their rude, sarcastic comments seriously is like giving them a license to keep on bringing you down and hurting you. So why would you do that to yourself? Let their sarcasm pass on without any (re)action and save your energy and time for someone who doesn’t try to put you down and does care about you.
Try to Redirect the Conversation Back to the Point
Another great way to avoid cutting ties with a sarcastic friend and remain in a good relationship is to try to redirect the conversation and get back to the point you’ve been discussing up to their sarcastic comment. If you want to keep that friend all while learning how to stop sarcasm, this is the best way to deal with it.
When they come up with a sarcastic comment, try to get back to what you’ve been talking about and take it calmly from there, like nothing really happened.
Say “Save Your Sarcastic Comments For Someone Else”
To make it clear to your friend that sarcasm is not working with you, simply advise them to take their half-witted jokes elsewhere. By letting them know that sarcasm is not funny to you and doesn’t provide any results or solutions, they may take your words seriously and stop using sarcasm when around you, simply because they wouldn’t have a single reason to use sarcasm if it’s not funny.
If you want to know how to respond to sarcastic people, a serious or no response is really the best way to do so. This way you’ll prevent awkward situations and negative energy. So make it clear that it doesn’t work with you.
Talk About It
If you’re sick and tired of dealing with sarcasm on a regular basis, it’s time to tell them how you feel about it and resolve it once and for all. First, tell them what you think about their sarcasm and then ask them how do they feel when using sarcasm. Tell them that you can’t see your friendship going forward along with sarcasm, so if they can’t avoid using sarcasm on you, you can’t have them in your life.
Make it clear that you don’t want a sarcastic friend who knows no limits. If they are truly a good friend to you, they would cut the sarcasm and contribute to making your friendship fulfilling for both of you.
Walk Away
If all of the aforementioned attempts to deal with your sarcastic friend are to fail, then it’s time for the last and most radical way – walk away. Your self-esteem is what matters most and if that friend doesn’t respect you, your friendship values and requirements, show them how strong you are and walk away from them.
This is not a sign of weakness or cowardliness, but a sign of a strong person who knows what’s best for them. Don’t try to win this war of sarcastic comments, because it’s not worth it. Instead, keep your distance or break off any contact with that person and you’ll be much better off. If that person insists to stay in touch, tell them to come back when they’re ready to not use sarcasm with you.
Also Read: Some of the Best Clothing Steamers for Sarcastic People
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