The soul of wit lies in brevity. An amazing comeback hits your head, you lash it out and your soul is satisfied with the harmless revenge. That is short, though not sweet. On the other hand, violence requires too much investment of mind, energy and time.
Though momentary, sarcasm is about timing. Often most of us regret that we did not come up with the right reply when it was needed, and play it many times over in our heads later. But with practice, some have become Chandler Bing amidst their friends.
Sarcasm is also better than violence because it leaves the ball entirely in the opponent’s court. Either they can have a laugh or get burnt by it. Your job ends with the retort, and you have won the battle and the war.
Scientists from Harvard, Columbia, and INSEAD business school found that people with sarcasm are three times more creative than others. Sarcasm requires such cognitive skills that it is used as a tool to identify social cognition, brain injuries, autism, and dementia. Finally we may have proof that Sheldon Cooper is crazy, and his mother having him tested was not enough. He still has difficulty understanding sarcasm.
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But the blow of sarcasm is softened when the two parties trust each other. And the deliverer of sarcasm has more fun than the receiver, unlike violence, that has equal liabilities on both parties.
Unless it is making a relationship or argument toxic, sarcasm is a best weapon. Especially in India, where everybody thrives on sarcasm. From parents, teachers, Facebook memes, coffee conversations to politicians, all leverage sarcasm to increase effectiveness.
So, take it with a pinch of salt, but sarcasm is the definitive measure of depth of your soul.
Very nicely written..