Sarcasm is ubiquitous in our society. Everything is stated in a tone where the opposite is meant. Many find sarcasm a fun device to use because it makes them feel witty and intelligent. And sometimes it is witty and enriching. Even Paul is sometimes sarcastic in his letters (his very term “super-apostles” is a sarcastic jab at his opponents; 2 Cor 11:5), but it is often when he is rebuking his readers or false teachers. It is not to be amusing. We often use sarcasm inappropriately. Consequently, it is often detrimental to our relationships and to our own attitude toward life.
One danger of sarcasm is that it is often used to mask ugliness and passive-aggressive criticism. The “beauty” of sarcasm (do you sense my sarcasm?) is that I can mean something completely rude and mask it with nice words in a sarcastic tone. This passive-aggressive sarcasm defends me because (1) someone must risk confronting my passive-aggressive comment and (2) I can simply hide behind the plain meaning of the words.
Another danger that stems from sarcasm is that people will constantly question what you meant when you said a certain statement. This is a negative effect I have seen in my own life. My wife often misinterprets things I say when I am being straightforward and nice to mean the opposite because she is so used to hearing me be sarcastic. While I cannot control how everyone interprets my words, it is mostly my fault that Rachel does not believe my frank statements and thinks that they are somewhat passive-aggressive.
Finally, sarcasm is often the symptom of a deeper problem – a cynical attitude toward others or toward life. College students seem particularly susceptible to this cynical sarcasm as they learn to challenge and cope with life. People feel like they can dismiss anything, even very serious matters, with a quick sarcastic jab. This essentially turns everything into one big ironic joke that breeds bitterness and resentment. I have found this to be the case in my own life. Now, I do my best to show gratitude for everything in life rather than using sarcasm to mask my resentment.
