Are You Sarcastic? Studies Show It Promotes Creativity for Everyone Involved

A study from the Harvard Business School suggests that blurting out sarcastic remarks — and listening to them — may increase one’s ability to think creatively and abstractly. Sarcasm increases creativity for both expressers and recipients. Because you have to peel back the layers of the satirical remarks, your brain forces itself to analyze and interpret different possible meanings behind the comments — increasing ingenuity and creative problem-solving skills.

Almost everyone uses sarcasm, a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance, in day-to-day interactions. You may hear someone say, ‘yeah, right’ but according to a study published in Scientific American at least 23% of the time that Americans use the phrase, it’s sarcastic. What happens in the brain when sarcasm is used has a lot to do with biochemistry.

The American Psychological Association (APA) discusses a study in which brain circuitry was found to be directly linked to the understanding of sarcasm. Researchers determined that people with prefrontal cortex damage, and more so those with right prefrontal cortex damage, struggled with identifying sarcasm. More interestingly, the study found a tight relationship between identifying…