Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but the highest form of intelligence,” wrote that connoisseur of wit, Oscar Wilde. Whether sarcasm is a sign of intelligence or not, communication experts and marriage counsellors alike typically advise us to stay away from this particular form of expression. The reason is simple: sarcasm expresses the poisonous sting of contempt, hurting others and harming relationships. As a form of communication, sarcasm takes on the debt of conflict.
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but the highest form of intelligence." Oscar Wilde.
And yet, our research suggests, there may also be some unexpected benefits from sarcasm: greater creativity. The use of sarcasm, in fact, promotes creativity for those on both the giving and receiving end of sarcastic exchanges. Instead of avoiding sarcasm completely in the office, the research suggests sarcasm, used with care and in moderation, can be effectively used and trigger some creative sparks.
Sarcasm involves constructing or exposing contradictions between intended meanings. The most common form of verbal irony, sarcasm is often used to humorously convey thinly veiled disapproval or scorn. “Pat, don’t work so hard!”, a boss might say upon catching his assistant surfing the Internet. Early research on sarcasm explored how people interpret statements and found that, as expected, sarcasm makes a statement sound more critical. In one laboratory study, participants read scenarios in which, for instance, (1) one person did something that could be viewed negatively, such as smoking, and (2) a second person commented on the behaviour to the first person, either literally (“I see you don’t have a health concern for your lungs”) or sarcastically (“I see you have a health concern for your lungs”). Participants rated sarcasm to be more condemning than literal statements. In a similar study, participants were encouraged to empathize either with a person behaving in a way that could be construed as negative or with a second person commenting on the first person’s behaviour. Both perspectives prompted participants to rate sarcastic comments by the second person as more impolite relative to literal comments.
In recent research, colleagues discovered an upside to this otherwise gloomy picture of sarcasm. In one study, we assigned some participants to engage in either simulated sarcastic, sincere, or neutral dialogues by choosing from pre-written responses on a sheet of paper. Others were recipients of these different types of messages from others. Immediately after participants engaged in these “conversations,” we presented them with tasks testing their creativity. Not surprisingly, the participants exposed to sarcasm reported more interpersonal conflict than those in other groups. More interestingly, those who engaged in a sarcastic conversation fared better on creativity tasks. The processes involved in initiating and delivering a sarcastic comment improved the creativity and cognitive functioning of both the commenter and the recipient. This creativity effect only emerged when recipients picked up on the sarcasm behind the expresser’s message rather than taking mean comments at face value.
Why might sarcasm enhance creativity? Because the brain must think creatively to understand or convey a sarcastic comment, sarcasm may lead to clearer and more creative thinking. To either create or understand sarcasm, the tone must overcome the contradiction between the literal and actual meanings of the sarcastic expressions. This is a process that activates and is facilitated by, abstraction, which in turn promotes creative thinking. Consider the following example, which comes from a conversation one of my co-authors on the research (Adam Galinsky, of Columbia) had a few weeks before getting married. His fiancée woke him up as he was soundly asleep at night to tell him about some new ideas she has for their upcoming wedding next month –many of which were quite expensive. Adam responded with some ideas of his own: “Why don’t we get Paul McCartney to sing, Barack Obama to give a benediction and Amy Schumer to entertain people.” His comment required his fiancée to recognize that there is a distinction between the surface level meaning of the sentence (actually signing up these people to perform) and the meaning that was intended.
This is not the first set of studies showing that creativity can be boosted by things that would commonly be considered creativity killers. In one series of studies, for example, researchers found that moderate noise can be an untapped source of creativity, providing a welcome distraction that helps the brain make disparate associations. In addition, alcohol is believed to aid creativity, up to a point, by reducing focus and relaxing the mind.
Sarcasm can be interpreted negatively, and thus cause relationship costs. So, how do we harness its creative benefits without creating the type of conflict that can damage a relationship? It comes down to trust. Our studies show that, given the same content and tone, sarcasm expressed toward or received from someone we trust is less conflict provoking than sarcasm expressed toward or received from someone we distrust. Of course, if we were to vary the tone and content, it would make a difference too – given an extremely harsh tone and critical content, even trust might not be enough.
It may have taken a number of years, but research now suggests that Wilde was correct in his analysis of sarcasm. In fact, neuropsychologists are encouraging people not to avoid and condemn appropriate sarcasm in the office, but to use it with care and moderation and reap the benefits it may offer.
Sarcasm is an instigator of conflict, researchers say, but also a catalyst for creativity when used moderately and appropriately amongst people who trust one another.
Harmless forms of sarcasm promote creativity through abstract thinking for those on both the giving and receiving end of sarcastic exchanges. Studies indicate that sarcasm exercises the brain more than sincere statements do since the brain has to work harder to understand and translate it. This extra processing may make us sharper because it activates abstract thinking.
One could say that sarcasm is a workout for the brain--those who toss around a bit of good-natured wit are found to think on a whole different level than those opposed to harmless sarcasm. One study suggests that not only does sarcasm stimulate complex thinking, it also works to reduce the impact of the potentially negative effects of anger. When college students in Israel were asked to man a call centre at a cell phone company, they were better able to solve problems creatively when the complaints were sarcastic in nature as opposed to just plain angry.
And if you can easily tell when someone is being snarky, that's a good thing since it demonstrates healthy cognitive function. Conversely, an inability to identify sarcasm could very possibly be a sign of brain problems or disease, some scientists say, like dementia. Conditions including autism, closed head injuries, brain lesions, and schizophrenia can also interfere with the ability to perceive sarcasm.
The use of sarcasm is also an indication of a healthy ability to show affection. There's an old adage that says we tend to tease the ones we love, as we are more likely to use sarcasm with people we care for. Parents may offer up a teasing remark, for instance, to soften what otherwise may be seen as criticism. "I saw how neatly you made your bed this morning," rather than a more biting remark about a child's neglect to perform this expected chore, will send the same message but in a loving way. "I hate it when you're right," is a playful and endearing way to thank someone for valuable insight. Of course, there are limits to be observed. What sarcastic people may view as playful others may see as hostile, so think before you speak.
While sarcasm has become a staple of modern language, there are both risks and benefits, so it's best to keep the more snarly remarks to yourself. There are those times that I tend to have a sharp tongue, especially when I'm tired, so I always pause long enough to put myself on the receiving end of a salty remark. If it doesn't feel good to me, it's likely that it will offend the recipient. Engage sarcastically, yes, but know the limits.
