Everyone enjoys laughter.
It boosts self-esteem, and gives you the feeling people are listening to what you say.
But after my years of making people laugh, I started thinking about my sarcasm.
Sarcasm, someone once told me, is the cheapest form of humor. If that’s true, then well, let’s just say I’m not a big-spending comedian.
The thing about sarcasm is that as funny as a dry comment can be, it is usually at someone else’s expense.
With that in mind, another person once told me that “all truth is said in jest.” I began wondering if my sarcasm ever has truth to it, and the role it plays in my life.
My exploration of my sense of humor began the next morning in one of my classes. I looked dead tired. I dragged myself to class and slumped into my usual seat, sporting the trendy “pajama” look. An over-friendly classmate asked me if I had a good night’s sleep. My answer: “Yeah, can’t you tell? Because I like to look like a truck hit me.”
The sarcastic remark wasn’t used to evoke a laugh, just to be rude.
A few hours - and a nap - later, I made my way to the office. Now that I was aware of my tendency for nasty comments, I became nervous about what would slip out of my mouth.
And for good reason.
I decided to wear capri sweatpants and flip-flop sandals to work, braving spring fashions. I entered the newsroom and a co-worker - before I could even say “hi” - asked me why I was dressed as Gidget for the day.
Geez. In the midst of my “curb the cruel comments” crusade, I became the brunt of the first one. But, I decided to work with it.
While everyone else laughed at the comment, I obviously did not, and I felt insecure. But because I was analyzing my day, I realized how vulnerable her comment made me for even a split second.
As I am not going to eliminate sarcasm from my daily life, I do find it necessary to be sure all the comments I make to others are not too harsh. If I choose to use this cheap form of humor to get a cheap laugh, I should think about how the comment I make could ultimately hurt someone’s feelings.
I will try not to get too tired with all the thinking I do - because I really do talk a lot. And people do listen.
Rachel Wright, State News administration reporter, can be reached at wrightr9@msu.edu.
