Who said sarcasm is the weapon of the weak

It also shows that they are able to separate their opinions from their ego, revealing strength of character that is not displayed by a person with no confidence. No confidence is a sign that the person who is trying to communicate has not had very many positive.

Your email address will not be published. Now on these clear June days in New Hampshire they appeared to uncoil…. Talk too much? How can you accuse me of accusing you of that! It was only long after that I recognized sarcasm as the protest of people who are weak.

It was only after dinner, when I was on my way alone to the library, that the full danger I had brushed on the limb shook me again. If I had fallen awkwardly enough I could have been killed. Finny had practically saved my life. Why might sarcasm enhance creativity? Because the brain must think creatively to understand or convey a sarcastic comment, sarcasm may lead to clearer and more creative thinking.

To either create or understand sarcasm, tone must overcome the contradiction between the literal and actual meanings of the sarcastic expressions.

This is a process that activates, and is facilitated by, abstraction, which in turn promotes creative thinking. Consider the following example, which comes from a conversation one of my co-authors on the research Adam Galinsky, of Columbia had a few weeks before getting married.

This is not the first set of studies showing that creativity can be boosted by things that would commonly be considered creativity killers. In one series of studies , for example, researchers found that moderate noise can be an untapped source of creativity, providing a welcome distraction that helps the brain make disparate associations.

In addition, alcohol is believed to aid creativity , up to a point, by reducing focus and relaxing the mind. Sarcasm can be interpreted negatively, and thus cause relationship costs. So, how do we harness its creative benefits without creating the type of conflict that can damage a relationship? It comes down to trust.

Our studies show that, given the same content and tone, sarcasm expressed toward or received from someone we trust is less conflict provoking than sarcasm expressed toward or received from someone we distrust.

Of course, if we were to vary the tone and content, it would make a difference too — given an extremely harsh tone and critical content, even trust might not be enough. Given the risks and benefits of sarcasm, your best bet is to keep salty remarks limited to conversations with those you know well, lest you offend others—even as you potentially help them think more creatively.

Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science, or psychology? And have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about? Please send suggestions to Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook. Gareth, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, is the series editor of Best American Infographics and can be reached at garethideas AT gmail. Francesca Gino is a behavioral scientist and professor at Harvard Business School.

Twitter: francescagino.