Sarcasm makes you smarter

Jarrett Taneyhill

Maddie Miller shows friendly sarcasm to Adam Bowers after a bad test.

Noah D'Angelo, Staff Writer

A study has now shown that your ability to perceive snarky, sarcastic comments represents brain capacity. It takes brain power to decipher when another person’s comment is sarcastic and even more power to deliver a sarcastic comment right back. Exposure to sarcasm enhances creative problem solving by opening up the brain. The brain has to work harder to understand sarcastic comments which in effect makes our brains sharper.

So in reality, our brain is like a knife. A really sharp knife that can’t cut fruit or even bread. So I guess our brains aren’t like a knife after all.

Although the use of sarcasm demonstrates a smarter brain, the downside to this newfound finding is that not being able to comprehend or use sarcasm may be an early warning sign of brain disease in young kids.

Now is the time where you can use something everyone hates and then afterwards say that you’re smarter than them.

Sarcasm is, by definition, the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. In easier terms, it is the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny.

Bellwood-Antis High School has its’ own train of sarcasm. The leader, hands down, of all the sarcasm is senior Christina Kowalski. Christina is in the honors curriculum and for the most part gets all A’s and B’s.

“The real problem is that I’m just too smart for everyone,” said Christina when presented with the research information.

The ability to comprehend sarcasm is also the sign of a healthy brain. The person who has to take the brunt of Christina’s sarcasm is her best friend and fellow senior Marissa Panasiti.

“It’s not hard to understand her (Christina’s) language anymore. I practically know what she’s going to say before she does,” said Marissa, who is also involved in the honors curriculum and usually gets straight A’s.

Women aren’t the only gender that can benefit from the uses of sarcasm.

“Sarcasm is the ONLY reason I get good grades,” said Junior Joe Padula.

All in all, this study proves that there is a lot of the human brain that we don’t know about yet. But ever so slightly, we are learning more and more and how we can tie it in to everyday life.