I’d like to think that this hasn’t happened to me, that I haven’t done it, but I’m not sure I can. Certainly, this Lifehacker article rang a bell or two with me because I’ve seen it happen to other people:
There’s a jerk inside all of us: we roll our eyes when someone in line has a complicated order, curse at little old ladies who don’t drive fast enough, and sneer at people who are just too happy. Over time, that snark kills our productivity and poisons our relationships.
There’s a difference between being occasionally sarcastic and a little derisive in your head, but when negativity becomes your default reaction, you have a problem.
The idea is that if you default to witty comments, you only do witty comments and you’re missing action.
Read the full piece for how it claims to show “how to keep your inner asshole in check”.