Title: Sarcasm | Psychology Today
Headings: Sarcasm
Linda and Charlie Bloom
Sarcasm
It's thinly veiled attempt to disguise anger.

Content: It can feel hurtful or hostile to the person on the receiving end of it. It frequently diminishes a feeling of trust and safety, provoking feelings of anxiety or defensiveness due to never knowing when the other shoe is going to drop. Sarcasm is a thinly veiled attempt to disguise feelings of anger, fear, or hurt. It can be a means of diminishing feelings of vulnerability that may be experienced in the willingness to acknowledge the underlying feelings. When the deliverer of the sarcasm gets angry or defensive at the recipient of it for “taking things too personally” or being “too sensitive,” they are trying to invalidate the other’s feelings and avoid feeling guilty or responsible for causing them pain. Sarcasm can be used with playful intent, but it’s important to try to access the other’s sensitivity to it by checking out their response to it and even asking them how they felt about it. Some people come from families where the use of sarcasm was commonplace; and they are used to being spoken to and speaking that way. They do not comprehend how they hurt others with their cutting tongue. Consider the case of Kevin and Jake.