Your Sarcasm Is Showing. Embrace It Because It Means You Are Smarter Than Most

by N/A, 10 years ago | 1 min read

"[Sarcasm] is the highest form of intelligence" - Oscar Wilde

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In order to prove what all sarcastic people already know, Harvard and Columbia universities conducted a study on the connection between intelligence and sarcasm.

They divided participants into three groups, those who expressed themselves earnestly, sarcastically, and neutrally.

Then, they had participants from each group complete a series of creative activities while judges and researchers observed.

They found 3 reasons sarcastic people tend to be more intelligent:

1. They think harder

Those one-liners don't just think of themselves! As natural as it may seem to some, a sarcastic response takes some brain work to process what you're hearing and manipulate a response that is humorous and clever as opposed to your gut emotional reaction.

2. They recognize possibility

Sarcasm is linked closely to creativity for those doling it out and for those receiving it. 75% of participants exposed to a sarcastic conversation were able to complete the creative task compared to the 25% exposed to sincere conversation.

3. They think abstractly

Sarcastic people provide more encoded, conversationally dependent, and socially embedded responses all of which require an acute recognition of surroundings and stimuli that improve problem-solving skills in social and professional settings.

So with each quip and snarky response, remember you're continually developing your creativity and intelligence.

Read the full findings of the study for yourself here.