Many a parent has responded to a sarcastic teenage quip with a good-natured yet firm “sarcasm is the lowest form of wit”. However, what many people forget is that Oscar Wilde actually finished that sentence about sarcasm with “but the highest form of intelligence”.
Now science actually supports Wilde’s theory, and has proven that sarcastic people may actually be smarter, and has benefits in the workplace.
A new study published by the Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes journal has found that sarcasm in the workplace can actually make you a more creative thinker.
“Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence.” Oscar Wilde
According to the researchers, a sarcastic comment can actually spark creative thinking in the mind as it requires you to think abstractly to work out the difference between the literal and figurative meaning of the words being said. Furthermore, the person on the receiving end of a sarcastic remark needs to work through the same cognitive processes, resulting in creative thought patterns.
However, it’s important to note that sarcasm is only the catalyst for creative thinking when both parties of the conversation trust and understand each other’s tone of delivery, otherwise sarcasm just causes conflict.
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