A study from the Harvard Business School suggests that blurting out sarcastic remarks —and listening to them— may increase one's ability to think creatively and abstractly. Sarcasm increases creativity for both expressers and recipients. Because you have to peel back the layers of the satirical remarks, your brain forces itself to analyze and interpret different possible meanings behind the comments— increasing ingenuity and creative problem-solving skills. 

Almost everyone uses sarcasm, a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance, in day-to-day interactions. You may hear someone say, 'yeah, right' but according to a study published in Scientific American at least 23% of the time that Americans use the phrase, it's sarcastic. What happens in the brain when sarcasm is used has a lot to do with biochemistry. 

The American Psychological Association (APA) discusses a study in which brain circuitry was found to be directly linked to the understanding of sarcasm. Researchers determined that people with prefrontal cortex damage, and more so those with right prefrontal cortex damage, struggled with identifying sarcasm. More interestingly, the study found a tight relationship between identifying sarcasm with empathy or identifying with the feelings of others. 

Some other examples of sarcasm are:

"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day. – A. A. Milne" A phrase which mocks the words' nothing' and 'impossible,' playing on the idea that the original quote means there isn't anything impossible, but twisting it as if it meant the act of doing nothing itself is impossible.

"Good judgment comes from experience and a lotta that comes from bad judgment. — Cowboy Wisdom"  A phrase that uses irony to discuss how you improve your judgment through experience, but a lot of the things you experience are due to things that result from poor judgment.

"Great! This is exactly what I needed" A phrase which can be meant literally, but when used sarcastically, essentially means something has happened that was NOT what you needed to happen.

"I'm sorry, did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?" A phrase that mocks the idea that the person interrupted had the metaphorical 'right of way.' Of course, the sarcasm user doesn't honestly believe that the sentence they hadn't finished interrupted the sentence the other had just started, but it is a mocking way to get their point across that they hadn't yet finished speaking.

Now that we understand what sarcasm is, we can begin to understand why we use it. While some sarcastic phrases are learned and ingrained in our vocabularies through conversations and interactions in our lives, Psychology Today discusses some reasons why people may use sarcasm and why some use it more frequently than others.

Psychology Today explains that those who are frequently sarcastic are relying on their chosen language to communicate and express feelings. Using tactics such as sarcasm allow the speaker to bypass their fears during communication, keeping the other person at arm's length from accessing their vulnerabilities. It is also discussed that sarcasm could be used as a cover-up for low self-esteem as well as jealousy. 

Whether you're using sarcasm as a tool or tactic or simply used to the phrases being in your vocabulary, there may be some benefits in terms of the impact on the creative mind. The same article from The Swaddle Magazine that talked about the usage of 'yeah, right' additionally provides some great insight on what these benefits are, and where they come from.

In addition to boosting creativity, Scientific American mentions the impact on an individual's sense of social belonging and honesty. According to a 2015 study, these impacts are caused by the extra steps your brain takes when speaking or understanding sarcastic language— just like working out in a gym, training the 'muscles' of your brain, which "may lead to clearer and more creative thinking."

Sarcasm is all about the contrast between literal and intended meanings, and understanding the difference has a lot to do with the way the human brain reads tone of voice. The study explains that in the processing of this, abstraction is activated, which, in turn, promotes creative thinking. The benefits of using sarcasm are best realized when both parties recognize and understand the tone of voice to determine the difference between the actual meaning and the literal phrase. 

You might not think about why you're being sarcastic at the moment. Still, when you use phrases with a different meaning than their literal explanation, you could not only be sharpening your cognitive skills but making communication itself easier on both parties. Sarcasm can be used to display honesty in a way that isn't so contentious for either party. With all the added benefits of being, well, a smartass, we say to let the sarcasm flow endlessly. Maybe next time you use a sarcastic phrase, you'll think a little more about why you're using it— or at least gain some creative skills from the thought.