Ability to USE sarcasm, but not recognize it??

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Jayo
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02 Sep 2020, 12:49 pm

HI all - I'm opening a thread on your thoughts & sentiments on what I call "asymmetric sarcasm", or what seems to be the tendency of those on the spectrum to have the capacity to dish out sarcasm, but not readily recognize sarcasm back (unless it's really exaggerated)?

This seems to be a recurring behaviour of none other than Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory - he regularly makes sarcastic remarks, but doesn't seem to pick up sarcasm from others.

I have regularly used sarcasm in the past, when I felt that the reward-to-risk ratio was suitably high enough... as you don't want to piss off the wrong people, those with toxic personalities where it feels you have to walk on eggshells.

A few of the gems that I've used on more than one occasion:

1. "Oh, right - minor detail."

2. "Is that a professional opinion??"
[said indignantly to people stigmatizing legitimate mental health struggles]

3. "Oh no! I've always had a fervent desire to [insert unpleasant activity/task that someone just suggested to you]."

4. "Oh, right: because if so-and-so said it, it MUST be true."

5. "I can't imagine why - maybe I need a more vivid imagination."

6. "Wow. With friends like you, who needs enemies!!"

As you can tell, these are usually coupled with a, ahem, healthy dose of indignation... b/c let's face it, some of the things that people say are out of place or banal or downright absurd or unreasonable.

The thing about sarcasm, is you gotta gauge the quantity and quality of it...otherwise, you could be perceived as some revolting misanthropic "loser" whose only jollies in life is cynically cutting down this-or-that, because of your own failings and history of being a perpetual victim...and that could be just as "deadly" as being totally naive and always making direct comments (not indirect like sarcasm).

For the most part, this appears to have been an area I did well in, despite my psychological disorder - my close circle of friends told me back in my 20s that they enjoyed my sarcastic sense of humour and expression, and they were sincere. :D

Of course, as I indicated earlier, you have to tread carefully with it sometimes esp. as a young male in the "volatile years" (late teens, early 20s) because in that demographic of peers, you can't be "dissing" (disrespecting) others - even if it's in a context of higher learning and you're at an off-campus house party, because hey, in that setting everyone becomes a pseudo-gangbanger who don't take sh*t from no-one :P :lol:



Pieplup
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03 Sep 2020, 3:28 am

Jayo wrote:
HI all - I'm opening a thread on your thoughts & sentiments on what I call "asymmetric sarcasm", or what seems to be the tendency of those on the spectrum to have the capacity to dish out sarcasm, but not readily recognize sarcasm back (unless it's really exaggerated)?

This seems to be a recurring behaviour of none other than Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory - he regularly makes sarcastic remarks, but doesn't seem to pick up sarcasm from others.

I have regularly used sarcasm in the past, when I felt that the reward-to-risk ratio was suitably high enough... as you don't want to piss off the wrong people, those with toxic personalities where it feels you have to walk on eggshells.

A few of the gems that I've used on more than one occasion:

1. "Oh, right - minor detail."

2. "Is that a professional opinion??"
[said indignantly to people stigmatizing legitimate mental health struggles]

3. "Oh no! I've always had a fervent desire to [insert unpleasant activity/task that someone just suggested to you]."

4. "Oh, right: because if so-and-so said it, it MUST be true."

5. "I can't imagine why - maybe I need a more vivid imagination."

6. "Wow. With friends like you, who needs enemies!!"

As you can tell, these are usually coupled with a, ahem, healthy dose of indignation... b/c let's face it, some of the things that people say are out of place or banal or downright absurd or unreasonable.

The thing about sarcasm, is you gotta gauge the quantity and quality of it...otherwise, you could be perceived as some revolting misanthropic "loser" whose only jollies in life is cynically cutting down this-or-that, because of your own failings and history of being a perpetual victim...and that could be just as "deadly" as being totally naive and always making direct comments (not indirect like sarcasm).

For the most part, this appears to have been an area I did well in, despite my psychological disorder - my close circle of friends told me back in my 20s that they enjoyed my sarcastic sense of humour and expression, and they were sincere. :D

Of course, as I indicated earlier, you have to tread carefully with it sometimes esp. as a young male in the "volatile years" (late teens, early 20s) because in that demographic of peers, you can't be "dissing" (disrespecting) others - even if it's in a context of higher learning and you're at an off-campus house party, because hey, in that setting everyone becomes a pseudo-gangbanger who don't take sh*t from no-one :P :lol:

I definitely do this. I secondly joke most of the time even tho must people can't tell whether i'm joking or not. I like to say you should probably just assume i'm joking. My dad is the same way.
Secondly, I'd advise against using sheldon cooper as a example as he's not confirmed to be autistic and alot of people on this forum dislike him. tbh, I have a gift for pissing people off. I generally don't give a f**k. If i don't like you, I'll let you know and anyone else know. I don't try to sneakdiss. I say it loud and clearly.


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Mountain Goat
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03 Sep 2020, 4:30 am

It is something I do on occasions. Not quite in the same way and as I know that if someone does it to me I can easily not even notice it, so I have tried not to do it myself these days.
Hints just don't always work with me either. People say they have to spell it out (Whatever they mean by that because they never spell the words?) One of the main problems I have had is somehow not being able to pick up or missjudge ladies flirting with me. Most of the time I never notice, but sometimes I think it was an obvious flirt and it wasn't and I have got myself into trouble which has really puzzled me because after spending what could be years analysing each occasion, I never said anything which could have given such a bad reaction. So why did they react that way?
But anyway... Who knows. I have spent so much time in my thoughts to try to percieve every possible outcome that I decided that women are hard to understand and that after asking around 15 or 20 of them out in my lifetime I decided not to and let them ask me. (Means as I don't pick up on hints, this approach has meant that it has taken years and years to get myself a date).

Sarcazm can be a little easier for me then hints though they are both similar as sarcazm is usually done with a different and often "Funny" voice, while hints are not, so I am far more blinded to hints then I am with sarcazm.

A classic example is an elderly neighbour who seems to only work in hints. She used to be an office worker where everything was done in hints to get the workforce to do things somehow! The problem is that I don't recognize them as hints, and by the time I do (Or is pointed out to me) I am soo annoyed that she has used such methods that I am in no mood to do anything! It is hurtful and deceptive to me to try to use such methods on me.
A few years ago our tractor had a mowing deck and she knew this. She would take me to the lawn while talking and say "The grass is long" and I would say "Yes. It is".
I often saw her getting annoyed at me and could not think why? Then I would hear through neighbours that I have done nothing to help her. Puzzled, I would go down and find she had employed someone to cut the grass. "It was long" I thought so I would ask "Why didn't you ask me?" and she would get angry and say "I have asked and asked and asked". It would be the first I knew she had asked.
So each time I see her I am somewhat stressed even though she is a nice neighbour (Apart from when she gets really annoyed and plots revenge for the things I have not done... Example, she once had a puncture and she blamed me for not helping her so for years she keeps dropping old nails by my car). But I just don't seem to be communicating the same language somehow which is the issue. It is like using the same words but they mean different things? The UK legal system is like that. I object to that because people can be prosecuted and not understand what they have been prosecuted for.
Anyway. That is my mornings rant. Hahaha! I am ok now. Ready to face the world..And hide! HAHAHAHA!


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