 Twyman L. Towery |
 Volume 11 - Report 1 May, 2009
|
|
Twyman L. Towery |
Volume 11 - Report 1 May, 2009
|
|
|
||
| It probably would not have stung nearly as badly if Charles Pierce had just gone ahead and called his victim the "B" word. It would have been much simpler and the recipient could have written Charles off as a redneck without a vocabulary. But the rapier like wit of his put-down is sure to sting. Such is the power of well conceived, properly placed, biting SARCASM. | ||
|
|
||
|
||
|
|
||
|
"SOMETIMES I NEED WHAT ONLY
YOU CAN PROVIDE: YOU'RE ABSENCE." Sadly or gladly, there is a raw truth to sarcasm that no other form of discourse can match. Last month I wrote about the importance of humor in the workplace, so this month we look at a particularly effective, but dangerous type of humor - sarcasm. For instance, we all know that: "GOING TO CHURCH DOESN'T MAKE
YOU A CHRISTIAN; ANY MORE THAN STANDING IN A GARAGE MAKES YOU A CAR." But for many of us it's not clearly internalized until we visualize our car sitting in the garage doing nothing, going nowhere and benefiting no one. "I FEEL SO MISERABLE WITHOUT
YOU; IT'S ALMOST LIKE HAVING YOU HERE." How could conflicted emotions be described more succinctly? This person is obviously frustrated in (or out) of love and his sarcastic explanation brings back painful memories for many of us. |
||
|
|
||
| NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOUR ORGANIZATIONS RETREAT. Not just because of the great weather, but because of the economic and personal uncertainty and the desperate human need for unity and teamwork in this time of uncertainty. Call Twyman at 615 370-3587. | ||
|
|
||
|
"I
HAVE HAD A PERFECTLY WONDERFUL EVENING, BUT THIS WASN'T IT." Yes, that was Groucho Marx at his sarcastic, USUAL best, for sarcasm was his stock and trade and even though others were always the butt of his barbs, they loved him for the insults. How could that be? Because all of his attention, interest and wit were focused on them for that brief period of being in the spotlight. Let's take a look at some of the famous people who have used sarcasm for great effect: "THE TROUBLE WITH HER IS THAT SHE LACKS THE
POWER OF CONVERSATION, BUT NOT THE POWER OF SPEECH." We all know these people. They are HOPELESS because they are CONVINCED they know what they are talking about. So you can either put up with them or leave - THEY won't change. "HE CAN COMPRESS THE MOST WORDS INTO THE SMALLEST
IDEA OF ANY MAN I KNOW." "Honest Abe" had a "pithy" side as well as a magnamimous one (As when he refused to disarm or punish Confederate soldiers after their surrender). "WHEN IDEAS FAIL, WORDS COME IN VERY HANDY." Poor communicators may have a good idea somewhere in their dialogue, but their overabundance of words insures that the idea remains hidden. The most crucial communication error I observe is that someone will make an excellent point, but rather than let it sink in, they continue babbling until the value of their original idea is obliterated by superfluous banter. |
||
|
|
||
| Do you know of someone who encountered terrible life experience (divorce, financial ruin, severe illness, etc.), but made a comeback, rebounded? What is their story? How did they do it? What characteristics saw them through the heartache? If published, you will be credited. Please write Twyman at: tt@twymantowery.com | ||
|
|
||
|
"HE HAS VAN GOGH'S EAR FOR MUSIC."
To my mind, this is effective sarcasm
personified. To simply accuse someone of having a poor ear for music
is not in the same league with comparing his or her ear with Van Gogh's
- which he of course didn't have - literally. POINT MADE. "THE TROUBLE WITH A KITTEN IS
THAT IT EVENTUALLY BECOMES A CAT." This quote is about a lot more than cats. How many times have we ignored a problem in its infancy, hoping it will simply go away, only to have to contend with it later, after it has become a multi-headed monster? Businessmen, physicians, salesmen, lawyers, architects, all of us, have paid dearly when we don't deal with a problem at the outset. "I HAVE NEVER KILLED A MAN, BUT I
HAVE READ MANY OBITUARIES WITH GREAT PLEASURE." One of the greatest lawyers in American history certainly knew how to turn a phrase. He literally destroyed (both mentally and physically) William Jennings Bryan in the Scopes trial by sarcastically exposing the ridiculousness of Bryan's attempts to embrace every single word in the bible as LITERAL TRUTH, trying to deny obvious contradictions. Bryan won the inevitable hollow trial victory in rural Dayton, Tennessee, but was a discredited and ridiculed man, with this trial serving as his sad epitaph. |
||
|
|
||
| Twyman's books are being used by an increasing number of organizations because they impart hope, optimism and confidence to all that read them. This is a great and inexpensive way to provide your employees with much needed educational development. | ||
|
|
||
|
"HE HAS NEVER BEEN KNOWN TO USE A
WORD THAT MIGHT SEND A READER TO THE DICTIONARY." "POOR FAULKNER. DOES HE REALLY THINK
BIG EMOTIONS COME FROM BIG WORDS?" Yes, sarcasm can also be used to fight personal wars. But this war was between two giants of the literary world, who were not subject to the constraints of organizational life, as most of us are. While sarcasm can be excruciatingly effective, it may also be deadly for relationships, jobs and friendships when misused or misinterpreted (or even worse - interpreted correctly). In short, sarcasm is dangerous, so use it with great caution and care. Remember: "WASTING SARCASM IS A SIN" So use it judiciously to make a point with humor that will be remembered but not to inflict pain or embarrassment. When it comes to sarcasm, USE IT WITH CARE. More on the subject of sarcasm and it's role in our personal and organizational lives in the next newsletter. In the meantime, please share with all of us your favorite sarcastic expressions and your ideas on the topic at www.twymantowery.com. |
||
|
Carpe
diem |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
MEDIATE - DON'T LITIGATE
Save money, feelings, reputations and time. Twyman is qualified in both civil and family mediation. Got a troublesome situation? Call (615) 370-3587 Website: http://www.twymantowery.com Email: tt@twymantowery.com This Newsletter and Twyman's website are created by Sites and Host |
