Sarcasm is an easy way to amplify feedback.
It has two hidden costs:
- It reveals low status. People with power don’t need to use sarcasm to make a point. If you want to lead with status, using sarcasm undermines that goal.
- It adds emotion where it’s not always needed. The emotion is an amplifier, but it often causes division and defensiveness.
If you have confidence in your standing and your idea, then sarcasm is simply getting in the way, because it undermines both.
