Treating Others With Respect: Sarcasm Check-In
As you reflect on any situations that come to mind from your life, take a moment to ask yourself the following questions:
v Have I said something sarcastic to a friend or loved one recently?
v What did I really want from our relationship in that moment?
v What did I want the person to know about me? About my feelings or thoughts regarding something they said or did?
v Did I want to express that I was disappointed about something or that I was feeling sad about something?
With these considerations, can you imagine an alternative way that you might have behaved toward that person? How might you have behaved? What might you have said instead of the sarcastic comment? Write this out.
You may want to keep certain reflections in a specially chosen box. Give this reflection a name. For instance, you can refer to this piece as “Sarcasm Check-In,” with the suggestion to yourself that the next time you feel the impulse toward a sarcastic remark toward a friend or loved one (or anyone, for that matter), remember this reflection and check in with yourself before reacting with a hurtful comment.
Know that it is natural to have these different “shadow” voices within, so don’t judge yourself harshly. This reflective exercise and personal check in, is an example of treating yourself with a forgiving attitude. It is easy to see how, by extending an accepting yet forgiving attitude toward yourself by checking in with your innermost feelings, this attitude naturally begins to translate to your treatment of others as well. That is the beauty of how forgiveness works in the world.
0 comments Juliet Rohde-Brown | Forgiveness, Practices
