Week 6 - Post 1

         I am usually pretty good at interpreting nonverbal messages, but one thing I occasionally get confused with is sarcasm. Sarcasm can be considered a nonverbal code with a verbal message. The textbook would categorize sarcasm under contradicting, since the definition the authors provide is a “nonverbal message that undermines the verbal message, often causing confusion and uncertainty”. I definitely use my fair share of sarcasm, and I can typically catch on to the sarcasm that people use, but there are times when I get very confused. When I’m having a normal conversation with people, sometimes they will blurt out a sarcastic remark and I will completely take it seriously, which will confuse me. For example, my roommate is normally a serious person, but she said something really sarcastic to me out of the blue one day and I took it so seriously that she couldn’t stop laughing at me. Of course I laughed after I found out it was only sarcasm, but she is usually so serious that I completely misinterpreted what she said. People can increase the accuracy with which they interpret sarcasm by observing facial expressions and tone of voice.