Sarcasm

[RemyZee]

I finally figured out sarcasm! I think in the past people were being sarcastic to me and I didn't realize it--not always but sometimes. But I figured out how it works and it always is funny, at least to me...all you have to do is say the exact opposite of what is true. For instance, you go to a very boring movie. On the way home you say, "Well THAT was an exciting movie." Or someone walks by in a terrible outfit and you say to your friend, "I guess SHE knows about fashion." You eat a terrible meal: "gee, THAT was delicious." . I don't know why it's funny to me but it is. But people are like: "autistic people aren't funny." I think we CAN be, but maybe our humor is a little more inaccessibles or it's more language oriented in things like puns or sarcasm, riddles, eccentric language, turns of phrase, irony. But do you have a sense of humor or am I out there.

 

[Jumpinbare]

Depends on who you ask. I think life is much too important to take seriously. I always try to see the funny side of things, and I like to share that. But I am often accused of having no sense of humor. Sometimes I play on that and tell people I am 100% serious all the time.

 

[Outdated]

Making people laugh was one of the only positive reactions I received from people as a kid. I often didn't understand a lot of the jokes I was telling but if I'd seen a joke make people laugh I'd use it.

I always did have a profound understanding of the English language including different nuances like sarcasm and dry humour, learning what was socially acceptable or appropriate in different circumstances was where I always struggled. But overall I made more people laugh than I offended.

That evolved and became more sophisticated as I became an adult, making people laugh is a good way to get them to like you.

 

[Tom]

I definately do and its more or less a constant in my social interactions. I do know that people sometimes do not get it though, because I am often not thinking in a straight line. I also enjoy it very much, seeing others be funny, comedians, etc. On the other hand I am very serious about duties, work, business.

 

[The Pandector]

Somewhere in my 20’s I became more acutely aware that my demeanor is a problem. Monotone, morose. Which makes sense since I’ve been severely depressed since about 7yo.

I got frustrated with people thinking I was angry or too serious. I love to laugh, a great escape from reality. With little or no control over tone, cadence, etc., I began to ‘make light’ as a signal to people that I am not in a bad mood. Sure, you might not think I’m funny, but at least you don’t think I’m angry or threatening. To me, that was a major improvement, and I stuck with it out of desperation.

I believe I have a healthy sense of humor. Many people - quite unfunny themselves - disagree. I was pretty severely emotionally abused by my whack-autistic mother and brother. CONSTANT teasing, belittling, especially cruel practical jokes. I literally didn’t know the difference between teasing and befriending; teasing was the only interface I knew. My normal, natural human interface is to tease - to find a weak point and exploit it. It’s all I knew.

Cut forward 50 or 60 years. Let me cut right through the cr@p and reject the local ‘wisdom’ that we are all free to change our personalities. I am 70+ years. People yak about how hard it is to learn something new when you’re old, but that’s not nearly as difficult as UN-learning when you’re old.

I try. But I still have no replacement strategy for humor to relieve social anxiety. And my ‘natural’ humor is still at other people’s expense. I do literally Hate these things about myself. But - all modern happy-talk aside - I am who I am. So I try to hide it.

One of the large pains in my life is when I am admonished for my humor. Each time, it cuts deep into my heart. It’s all I have, and the world’s response is that my best is not good enough.

Bitterness.

 

[grommet]

“I literally didn’t know the difference between teasing and befriending”