Shurr! Success Blog

(To watch the One Final Mission webinar replays, click here.) “That haircut looks stupid and if nobody else is going to tell you, I will.” “You can’t let your kids get away with that behavior. You need to know how to discipline them.” “You keep eating like that and your weight is going to get more out of control than it already is.” Since I received quite a response from my last email on the destruction of sarcasm, let’s continue that conversation. The Baby Boomer generation is often referred to (by Baby Boomers) as the “greatest generation” because they won World War II and put a man on the moon. Yet, they also had parents who were survivors of the great depression, and life was tough for most families. As a result, many unconscious self-limiting beliefs passed through the family timeline, one being that “someone’s got to tell it like it is (so you don’t get hurt).” Even though the intention behind the comments may originate from a positive place, most experience them as harsh, abrupt, and even abusive. I’ve noticed a pattern when helping clients deal with parents who are repeatedly offending them. Adult children of rude parents point at themselves and say, “What’s wrong with me? Why do I keep attracting selfish people into my life?” Instead, imagine pointing that figure towards the person offending you. Then ask, “What did they experience as a child that causes them to show up in this way?” Or, “What’s the best

Sarcasm refers to the use of words that mean the opposite of what you want to say, especially to insult someone, convey irritation, or as an attempt to be humorous. An example of sarcasm is saying “they really got it together” to describe a disorganized group or team. Here are other examples that perhaps you’ve heard or said in the past. “If I had your brains, I’d be lost too.” “Is the princess feeling unappreciated again?” “Yes, you’ve had it so bad, haven’t you?” “I wish I had your problems?” “You wouldn’t know responsibility if it walked up and punched you in the nose.” “I’m sure it’s hard for you to listen with your head so far up your ass.” “Kids are to be seen, not heard, and usually not seen.” “I wouldn’t have to yell if I wasn’t surrounded by morons.” ​ Growing up in the seventies, it seemed like using sarcasm was the cool thing to do. We were constantly ripping on our friends and trying to one-up each other with the next cut down. It seemed funny, but often those jokes did cut emotionally. There were no limits to the shock value, and total humiliation seemed like the unspoken goal. Sadly, this hasn’t stopped even in a “cancel culture” society, and the results of this behavior are horrifying. Regular school shootings, youth suicide because of social media shaming, and other atrocities make my stomach sour. We want to blame guns and Smartphones, but the truth is that