this is the main reason I've been slowly removing sarcasm from my personality. it's not fun when so many people are (understandably) not in on the joke, or worse when you realize someone you were joking with was actually being completely serious. I'm just tired man, feels like half the worlds gone insane

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes, this resonates, though I try to resist the urge to curtail my sarcasm.

I do find myself using sarcasm in a self-deprecating manner more than I used to, as it feels less prone to misinterpretation, or at the very least, that most misinterpretation would be unlikely to be taken at someone else's expense.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Honestly, I used to use self deprecating humor a lot, but it does eat away at your own self esteem if your repeat it enough and it can make others feel inadequate as well. One of the qualities I've admired the most in others and that I try to emulate is unapologetically taking responsibility for mistakes or shortcomings. "Wow, I should have caught that. That was silly of me, I'll do better" is a lot better than something like "now I see why I had to ride the short bus" or "I'm such an idiot" .... At the end of the day, no one is perfect, and we shouldn't hold ourselves or others to unachievable standards. We should just always strive to do better.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I also know a guy who takes your self-deprecation seriously and throws it back at you. I don't like hanging out with that guy.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

or worse when you realize someone you were joking with was actually being completely serious

I liked the stories about the moon landing not happening for many years (I'm 58), not because I believe it didn't happen, but because I loved looking into what would have to happen to cover it up and how impossible it would be to cover it up. It was a joke until I realised that people were starting to take it seriously. Alternative history was a hobby I was into, I was writing (terrible) stories myself and then they turned everything into "alternative facts" and made up history and took it for real and I just had to give up the hobby completely. It is no fun to write or read a story about a flat earth or people living inside the globe or aliens when you know someone actually believes it to be true. That's why we can't have nice things:

like half the worlds gone insane