Title: Field Guide: Sarcastic Masters | Psychology Today
Headings: Field Guide: Sarcastic Masters
Field Guide: Sarcastic Masters
They're smart, they're funny, and they know it. But is cracking jokes that put other people down truly wise?
Genesis of the Jibe
Sarcasm's Slippery Slope
When to Take The Edge Off

Content: They're very into impression management ." Because humor and hostility often come mixed together, it can be difficult to pinpoint a wisecracker's primary intent. " Sometimes sarcasm is humor—purely a Don Rickles kind of joking—and sometimes it's just innocently insensitive," Stosny says. " But other times, it's devaluing." Everyone benefits from a wisecracker's comic relief, but if you are the target of regular swipes, it's best to assertively call the joker out. His hilariousness doesn't give him the right to belittle you. Genesis of the Jibe
"Just blurting out an insult is pedestrian at best," says Vacheh Joakim, an IT specialist in Los Angeles who prides himself on his sardonic wit. " But a sarcastic jab that can masquerade as a compliment is much more enjoyable, and it also gives the person being sarcastic a sense of superiority." Though Stosny and others theorize that such verbal jujitsu is rooted in insecurity, wisecrackers themselves, predictably enough, tend to admit feelings of inadequacy only indirectly. Joakim, for example, acknowledges the possibility of using sarcasm to compensate for shortcomings, but sidesteps a personal revelation: "