Sarcasm is a form of humor in which the nonverbal cues (paralinguistics, facial expressions) do
not match the verbal cue. According to the discussion of ethics in the textbook, this incongruity
may be unethical or require further examination by the communication partner. Do you think that
sarcasm is ethical? Is it harmful to others? Is it helpful to others?
Humor is a great way for humans to bond. While there are many forms of humor, sarcasm
specifically is under an ethical debate. My opinion rests in the context of the communication. For
sarcasm to land as a joke you need to verbally express yourself while simultaneously
contradicting your speech with the way you express your kinesics. For example, if I were to tell
a friend that he smells great while also showing a facial expression that shows a repulsive
expression to smell this would come off as sarcasm. Is this interaction unethical? In my opinion
if both parties are comfortable with expressing sarcasm to one another I believe this interaction
is ethical. However, if you are unaware of another person’s culture you could potentially engage
in behavior they are not comfortable with. If you aren’t sensitive to how someone is willing to
communicate with you and you engage sarcastically with them you could possibly damage that
relationship. I believe if you don’t follow that degree of sensitivity you could be acting unethically.
It is important to maintain healthy relationships between your peers and a little humor might help
grow a relationship. You must tread lightly that the humor you share doesn’t have nonverbal
communication that the receiver might not be able to interpret. If you are going to be sarcastic
just make sure that before you engage with the receiver it won’t be harmful.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
