Who said sarcasm is the lowest form of wit quote

Excellent post, Pigfender, and I am with you on many counts, but would add 2 additional facets to this discourse;. Another example is that irony is often held up as a higher form of wit than sarcasm, yet is it really? Let me explain. For many, the distinguishing the difference between irony and sarcasm is often incredibly difficult to explain. Many maintain that the defining difference between the two terms lies in the idea that Irony can be involuntary, while sarcasm is deliberate.

Irony, generally speaking, can naturally occur in both language and circumstance; one experiences irony when the opposite of an expected situation or idea occurs. Sarcasm, for its part, can make use of irony to make an observation or remark about an idea, person or situation. But, perhaps for this very reason, good sarcasm requires both a sense of irony, coupled with the inventiveness, imagination, and intelligence to create the juxtaposition of circumstance which is both ridiculous and dryly witty.

This is a process that activates, and is facilitated by, abstraction, which in turn promotes creative thinking. Consider the following example, which comes from a conversation one of my co-authors on the research Adam Galinsky, of Columbia had a few weeks before getting married. This is not the first set of studies showing that creativity can be boosted by things that would commonly be considered creativity killers.

In one series of studies , for example, researchers found that moderate noise can be an untapped source of creativity, providing a welcome distraction that helps the brain make disparate associations.

In addition, alcohol is believed to aid creativity , up to a point, by reducing focus and relaxing the mind. Sarcasm can be interpreted negatively, and thus cause relationship costs. So, how do we harness its creative benefits without creating the type of conflict that can damage a relationship? It comes down to trust. Our studies show that, given the same content and tone, sarcasm expressed toward or received from someone we trust is less conflict provoking than sarcasm expressed toward or received from someone we distrust.

Of course, if we were to vary the tone and content, it would make a difference too — given an extremely harsh tone and critical content, even trust might not be enough. Given the risks and benefits of sarcasm, your best bet is to keep salty remarks limited to conversations with those you know well, lest you offend others—even as you potentially help them think more creatively.

Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science, or psychology? And have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about? Please send suggestions to Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook. Gareth, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, is the series editor of Best American Infographics and can be reached at garethideas AT gmail. Because it is only marginally better than being witless.

Vikram Karekatte, North Sydney. Sarcasm is scornful, contemptuous and taunting, hence it is rightfully the lowest form of wit. Premila Singh, Strathfiel d. Because it requires very little brain power to be sarcastic? Karina L. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit only to those who have never mastered the art, and those who always fall victim to it. Adam Pemberton, Sylvania.

The lowest form of wit is reputedly the pun - or as some wag said, "The bun is the lowest form of wheat". Gary Whale, Yamba. Sarcasm is generally negative, and tends to hurt, which places it on the lowest rung of the humour ladder. For example, "He thinks he's a wit, but he's only half right. Recent research at the University of Haifa claims that sarcasm is a complex high order skill needing an ability to understand other peoples state of mind and emotions. Its low because it targets chiefly the sensitive, inarticulate, unsophisticated and powerless.

Paul Roberts, Lake Cathie. Great question! I've wondered the same myself, because you need to be bordering on genius to be able to apply it in just about any given situation. Luke O'Dwyer, Banksia. Madeline Palmer, Kualal Lumpur.

It came, via the French "catholique", from a Greek word composed of two parts - the first part meaning "in general" and the second "whole". Brad Elliott, North Rocks. According to the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles the word catholic means general or universal. It came to English from the French catholique which in term came from a similar greek word composed of two parts. The first part stands for "in general" and the second part stands for "whole" which has led to its present meaning and usage.

Used in a religious sense, members of the Anglican church state their beliefs in the Creed and pray for the "One Holy, Catholic Church"; we often use the word loosely when we refer to Catholics versus Protestants , when we mean Roman Catholics. It is a very useful word in secular connotations as well. Mary Purnell Revesby. The word "catholic" has a noble and secular ancestry dating back to the Greeks. In Homer we find "holos" meaning "whole, entire, complete".

Aristotle uses the term "cath-holon" to refer to a general or universal truth. The word 'catholicus' was taken over by Latin Christian writers in the 2nd century to mean 'universal'.

Use of the word "catholic" with lower case inital letter preserves its original pre-Christian meaning. Humphrey Charles, Bronte. The word "catholic" comes from the Greek "katholikos" meaning universal.

So a catholic mind is all-embracing, one of varied interests and ideas. Anna Smith, Runcorn, Qld. Catholic, the actual word, is unrelated to religion. It means from dictionary. Another meaning is Including or concerning all humankind; universal. This second meaning is the one from which Roman Catholic is derived, which I guess is the church for all humankind.

Most people shorten Roman Catholic to simply Catholic. This also explains why the Anglican Church's creed states that we are "part of one Holy Catholic Church" the exact wording escapes me through years of non-attendance! I remember we discussed that at Bible Study one night, as we were confused as to why Anglicans of which I am one would declare that I am part of the Catholic Church when Anglicans and Catholics had been fighting for centuries and were in fact separate Churches.

It was pointed out to me the true meaning of Catholic, and its separation from the Roman Catholic Church which has the Pope as its figurehead. Peter Hatley, Glendenning. Tennis players are seeded so that the top players do not meet each other in the early rounds, but rather meet in the finals.

This is analogous to a farmer planting evenly spaced seeds. To continue the analogy, the seeds will grow and flourish in the finals. Joseph Lee, Belfield. It derives from the verbal sense of scattering seed, as with cloud-seeding. The top players are spread apart so that they can out-perform the weeds before competing with each other. Send new questions to nq theguardian. Terry and June. Sarcasm … delivered deadpan, with warmth and a Yorkshire accent, can be the height of humour.

Innuendo is by far the lowest. Sarcasm done well is the backbone of much quality humour. I refer you to Fawlty Towers.

Sarcasm can be sublime. In Elizabethan times, the pun was considered the highest form of wit. The highest form of wit must be someone telling a joke at the top of Mount Everest.