There is one particular style of spoken word I love most: Sarcasm.

If you’ve ever talked to me for any length of time, you know my humor is dry and mainly filled with sarcasm. But come on, who isn’t a little sarcastic every now and then?

Now, I could go on a long rant where the line of seriousness and sarcasm would be so blurred that no one would understand when I was being serious or ironic; you’d just love that, wouldn’t you?

Too bad. Instead, let me tell you the wonders and dangers of using this particular brand of irony.

Probably my favorite reason for speaking sarcastically is that you have to have a sense of wit for it to be executed well. I mean, I could straight up tell someone they said something wrong and foolish, but to really teach a lesson I poke fun at them about it. Nothing too harsh–I’m not into bullying people–but when a friend says something really obvious, I can’t help but make jokes.

One such example is when someone tells me a test they just took was really hard, but they never actually go to the class. Really? You’re telling me that the test isn’t just on things you can learn from a four-minute video on YouTube? Shocking.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve worn the mantle of Captain Obvious many times myself. I’m no stranger to the embarrassment that comes when you use phrases like “legitimate rape”… well, maybe not that phrase exactly, but you get my point.

We all get confused sometimes or say things that, once they leave our mouths, we realize sounded stupid, but the beauty of sarcasm is that everyone gets a few laughs out of it. Maybe we’ll learn to think before we speak when it really matters–like, say, at a job interview (true story, I got my job at a video rental store because I joked with the manager instead of stressing out).

Be warned, young padawan, it’s a very slippery slope from playful jokes to full-fledged insults. I can’t tell you how many times I meant to just show someone the error of what they had just said and ended up having to apologize because I took it too far. It’s never fun and you just look like a jerk. So, moderation is defiantly key here; don’t be the guy that everyone has to second-guess because they don’t know if you’re serious or not.

Be witty, be funny, but, most importantly, be nice. No one likes the guy or girl who can’t be serious some of the time.