“Sure, you are qualified for that promotion…about as qualified as my pet rabbit. Congratulations.”

“Oh, I just love your new dress. How many cotton fields had to be picked to get enough material?”

Such statements may sound as if the speaker is trying to be funny, when in actuality; the hurtful words are pure sarcasm. According to Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, the word sarcasm comes from the Greek word meaning to tear flesh like gods, to bite the lips in rage, to speak bitterly, a cutting jest.

Sadly, sarcasm runs rampant throughout our modern culture and is a poor substitute for humor. There are some people who try to make a punch line out of every interaction you have with them. Everything’s a joke and they’ll make you a target of that joke whenever possible. Try to speak to sarcastic people in a serious tone about a sensitive subject and they usually tear it to bits with sharp comments they think are funny.

As a civilized professional and student of etiquette, how are you to respond to this brutish behavior? There are two effective ways to deal with sarcastic people. First ignore their sarcasm and don’t rise to the bait. After all, they use sarcasm to avoid intimacy and keep people away. If you get caught in the net with sarcastic people, do your best to give them what they want, which is to be left alone.

Second, once a person crosses the line and becomes abusive with their sarcasm, be calm, look at them directly and say, “I don’t appreciate your sarcasm and I would like you to not be sarcastic when you’re speaking to me.” After your comment, walk away.

To ensure observers always have a positive impression of you, don’t fall victim to the temptation to use sarcasm. Remember, you are always being watched.

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