Reflections On Sarcasm

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 6 January 2025 "Unless one's Mark Twain or Oscar Wilde, sarcasm from a much less intelligent person is an outright snide remark." This is a translation from French in my banal English. I came across this observation in a French newspaper many years ago. The relentless sarcastic comments of a 'gifted' gentleman has prompted me to analyse sarcasm. What makes some individuals resort to making sarcastic comments all the time? There's no gainsaying the fact that sarcasm needs intelligence and one who makes sarcastic comments has to have a smidgen of intelligence. Here are the finest examples of intelligent sarcasm (in fact, satire) sans vindictiveness and personal vendetta: "Hum Ko Maaloom Hai Jannat Ki Haqeeqat Lekin/ Dil Ke Khush Rakhne Ko 'Ghalib' Ye Khayal Acchha Hai " (Mirza Ghalib), "Koi Hindu, Koi Musalmaan, Koi Iisaaii Hai / Sab Ne Insaan Na Ban-Ne Ki Qasam Khayee Hai" (Nida Fazli), "Dil Khush Hua Hai Masjid-E-Veeraan Ko Dekh Kar/ Meri Tarah Khuda Ka Bhi Khaana Kharaab Hai" (Abdul Hamid Adam) or "Suna Ye Hai Bana Karte Hain Jode Aasmaanon Par / Toh Ye Samjhein Ki Har Biwi Bala-Aasmaani Hai" (Ahmad Alvi). And this one, "Baat Tak Karni Na Aati Thi Tumhein/ Ye Humare Saamne Ki Baat Hai" (Daagh Dehlavi). What Daagh expressed in his mordant couplet is sarcasm. Its caustic humour is obvious and vitriol is written all over. In fact, there's a great difference between sarcasm and satire. One uses irony to some extent in both. You're sarcastic when you say something sweetly but are actually swallowing a bitter pill. You may clap your hands sarcastically when actually you want to throw rotten tomatoes. You say one thing, while you mean the exact opposite. On the other hand, satire holds up a mirror to society in which the readers see for themselves the blemishes in nature and character and make some efforts to correct them. Both sarcasm and satire can be light or severe. You must have noticed that gratingly sarcastic people make fun of you if you relay you’re bothered by their comments? “You’re a baby!” “Calm down-I’m just messing with you,” they say, and you’re left to marvel at this chronic need for them to “mess” with you. It’s as if they feel superior in their casting you as a weakling for being unable to take their sarcasm. Such a sarcastic demeanour may be confusing. It's as if a strange screen of attitude exists between the sarcastic person and their target. Targets may not be sure if the sarcastic one is sending a message or if they are simply joking. The problem with sarcastic people is that they love to pontificate. Sarcasm and condescension often go hand in hand. People, who're habitually sarcastic, also labour under the misconception that they're omniscient. I call them 'ironic polymaths'. They suffer from ' pedantic jingoism.' Sarcastic people often try to run others down. But what about this business of chronic derision towards people whom the sarcastic person has seemingly never had (personal) issues with? Theodore Millon, Ph.D., the late personality disorder giant, also noted (1996) another point is that the chronically-sarcastic/cynical are also pessimistic and have low self-esteem, naturally leading to jealousy of others and therefore criticism and contempt. This also explains the tendency for them to capitalize on others’ “not being able to take it,” providing them a chance to feel superior in that you can’t handle them. This explains the behaviour of a particular individual whose lifetime mission is to trivialize yours truly, knowing it jolly well that there's a chasm between the level of our intelligence. Interestingly, behavioural psychologists and the researchers in the field of Semiotics -Science of signs and symbols; my professor Umberto Eco at Bologna University (Italy) was the father of Semiotics- have found that morbidly sarcastic people often coin their own metaphors and symbols and use them till they become clichés. So very true! This gentleman in the forum has milked (pun intended) his cow metaphor ad nauseam. To cut the matter short, surfeit of anything is bad. Even Beethoven's nine ethereal symphonies and Mozart's celestial compositions such as 'Requiem' and 'Don Giovanni' start to sound boring if played repeatedly. If you continue to be sarcastic, use your sarcasm intelligently, so that it doesn't reek of blatant revengefulness and outright envy. Change and shift your 'targets' and also coin new and fresh metaphors! I've subjects galore but you've just one metaphor to harp on. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/reflections-sarcasm/d/134254 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism