Smithsonian Magazine reports that studies show that sarcasm enhances problem solving. An inability to understand it can be an early warning sign of brain disease, which could explain why some have trouble understanding this blog:
“Our culture in particular is permeated with sarcasm,” says Katherine Rankin, a neuropsychologist at the University of California at San Francisco. “People who don’t understand sarcasm are immediately noticed. They’re not getting it. They’re not socially adept.”
Sarcasm seems to exercise the brain more than sincere statements do. Scientists who have monitored the electrical activity of the brains of test subjects exposed to sarcastic statements have found that brains have to work harder to understand sarcasm.That extra work may make our brains sharper, according to another study.
Maybe this could also explain the Pensacola City Council’s problems.