{"id":121987,"date":"2021-03-23T11:00:04","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T11:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=121987"},"modified":"2023-03-13T13:47:53","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T13:47:53","slug":"what-sarcasm-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-sarcasm-means.htm","title":{"rendered":"What Sarcasm Means About Your Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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photo by: Thabang Madnsela<\/p><\/div>\n

by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

Known for your wit and humour? But of the sarcastic kind? What does sarcasm mean about you, really?<\/p>\n

The meaning of sarcastic<\/h2>\n

Sarcasm is far more than just being funny.\u00a0 It’s clear even in the dictionary definition<\/strong> of, “using remarks that clearly mean the opposite of what you say, in order to hurt someone’s feelings or to humorously criticise something<\/a>.” (Cambridge dictionary).<\/p>\n

If it’s a thing we are criticising, then sarcasm can have its place and its positive power.<\/strong> Using sarcasm on social media to expose, say, the global response of governments to child hunger?\u00a0 Can mean a useful opinion goes viral.<\/p>\n

A research study<\/a><\/span> on sarcasm within organisations even found that it led to greater creativity within teams, raising levels of abstract thinking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But where criticism is a red flag is within relationships. <\/strong>When we choose to be sarcastic, we are choosing to hurt and criticise someone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What sarcasm means about you<\/h2>\n

What does that mean when it comes to you and your mental health<\/a>?<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Yes, you are smart.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sarcasm, even more than other types of humour, requires timing and nuance to be good at. And as the above study points out, it can lead to creativity<\/a> and abstract thinking.<\/p>\n

But within relationships, sarcasm means you are also willing to show off your intelligence at the price <\/strong>of things like patience, and understanding<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. You could be a whole lot kinder.<\/span><\/h3>\n

It can be hard to accept that you can actually be <\/strong>a mean person<\/a> if you see yourself as just a ‘laid back, funny’ sort.<\/p>\n

But that’s the seduction of sarcasm. It is a smoke screen to hide behind, and to trick yourself into not facing up to all sorts of things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let’s look at an example. Let’s imagine you’ve just said this to your partner:<\/p>\n

Yes, of course we can drive to Florida this year, my idea of a vacation has always been days stuck in a car on a motorway to visit a place full of senior citizens. <\/em><\/p>\n

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photo by: Trung Thanh<\/p><\/div>\n

W<\/strong>hat is implicated is that the other person is:<\/strong><\/p>\n