"Of course I know a second language. I'm fluent in Sarcasm."
This saying is something a lot of us hear often these days. I find the use of sarcasm as a constant thing in my own speech. It is not considered to be a good thing to say something sarcastic as people tend to take them the wrong way. However, sarcasm is not always used in a harsh manner. Among a group of friends, sarcasm may be used to joke around and give an answer to something that seems rhetorical in nature. Sarcasm can be detected quickly as it will resemble the extreme answer to the question or just something that seems unrealistic/probable. Sarcasm is essentially a second language where exposure can provide you with enough experience to understand.
Sarcasm is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "The use of words that normally mean one thing to mean just the opposite usually to hurt someone's feelings or show scorn." By definition, it would appear that sarcasm is a harsh language and that's right to a degree. Someone's perspective will dictate whether they take sarcasm well or not. For most of the population, the thought of being mocked by sarcasm is harsh because this causes those who do use sarcasm often to have a hard time getting along with others. We do not mean to cause harm all the time sarcasm is used. Mostly we use it to give our opinion (usually in a snarky attitude) about a topic where someone did something idiotically or just uninteresting. This is a harsh outlook on the topic, but it's a way of showing that we are listening, but don't approve the current topic.
Most of the time I use sarcasm against questions that are rhetorical. Maybe you walk into a building while it rains and you forget your umbrella, so you are drenched in water. A friend of yours asks if it was raining out. Now, you may find this question to be valid, but to those of us that use sarcasm, we will go straight to it. We would come back with something like, "No, the ocean just decided to get up and move and I got in the way" or "No, I just took a shower with my clothes on. I thought it would be an interesting new experience." To friends, this answers their question, and if they partake in sarcasm, will answer back as such, "Well it is one good way to clean your clothes at the same time."
Many loved characters use sarcasm in movies and books, like anime and manga, and within musical lyrics and advertising. Sarcasm is found pretty much everywhere when you really look around. Deadpool, an adult rated comic, super-mercenary, uses sarcasm by default more than half time. It is one of the reasons people love this guy, and without it, he wouldn't be the same character he is now. Villains, as well as the hero in anime and manga, will taunt each other through witty sarcastic banter. This generates interest and keeps the mood lighter. Sarcasm isn't always a bad thing to have, despite its tendency to be used in an aggressive manner. It adds comedic value to things, as long as the time and place isn't a horrible occasion. Being too serious is bad for your health, so sarcasm may make you smile.
Sarcasm isn't something to take seriously. It is not a professional language by any means, but the understanding and usage of sarcasm is a language. Not everyone is aware of sarcasm and this creates a problem as the person using it looks like a bad guy or is approving of something they actually don't. Understanding sarcasm helps remove this confusion, but in text it is hard to tell sarcasm from general statements. Sarcasm is a language some understand and use, however, I feel like it gets a bad reputation for just being mean. I don't intend for it to sound mean unless I feel like it's a rhetorical question in which I am using sarcasm to show my disdain. However most of the time I'm just trying to lighten the mood and break the ice that at the time may have been getting thicker. Don't just throw it out the window, try and participate in the language of Sarcasm.
