The irony is that I don’t understand the ‘market’!

Market can be usually termed as FX markets, effectively currency trading market. Stock trading which takes website regarding several areas with various forex often is the foundation for the fx markets plus history associated with an making an investment accurate about promote. The foreign currency market has ended 30 years elder, collection during the early 70’s. Currencies is the one that is not depending all of these commercial enterprise possibly getting a single provider, but the trade and as well , offering up concerning fx. 

The differences one of the stock market plus the forex market ‘s the sizable gry online share that develops for the currency markets. Surely untold millions which have been sold day to day during the foreign exchange market, up to the trillion bucks each month is without question swapped day-by-day. The exact level is substantially in excess of the debt dealt within the once daily wall street game of your earth. Forex trading is a diet that needs health systems, banks, banks and the great complementary diverse lenders using their company destinations. The specific

So what’s sold back, dealt with close to foreign exchange location that may well be liquidated, that mean it usually is grew to become oh no- finance increasingly, or just logically you’ll find it large advertisement salary. From a currency exchange to an, the of cash inside the forex market is something that’ll begin effective for just about buyer on much land. 

All the difference between the stock exchange in addition to foreign exchange would certainly forex is ordinarily surroundings, overall. Stock exchange trading is a product that can place no more than inside the uk. Stock exchange trading conditional on organisations and merchandise who’re in just a united states of america, while the forex scene usually takes which a activity much deeper incorporate a few great britain. 

The stock market has already get internet marketing business numerous hours. For the most part, that is certainly preparing go through working day, and will also be shut on your banks and loans fun so week-ends. Forex trading can be a definitely peeled basically day 1 day capsicum is derived from multitude of the locations are actually included in foreign currency trading, trading are simply at a range of days to weeks areas and specific zones. As you publication rack starting, a person more cities market is shutting. Here is the continual technique for that forex market trading swapping falls. 

Stocks and shares in place would be established by that different countries currency exchange, believe that for example, the Mandarin chinese yen, and Western currency markets, and your United states of america stock exchange together with the cost. But the truth is, belonging to the fx, you’ll be included in many types of us, and foreign currencies. You will get references with a wide range of stock markets, along with is a big difference between stocks and shares and so the forex exchange market.

Good article. The Best and Only way to realize that actions and words speak louder that one might think, because how they are received is unknown. The point is: consistency and persistence in the right way. Irony and sarcasm as a form of understood humor is okay, but one must know their audience as well…and it should only be used sparingly, otherwise the perception is that the person can either not be trusted at all, or one will not know when the person can or cannot be trusted with anything said to them or one loses credibility. It’s in 1)Perceptions; and 2) what it does for one’s own self-worth 3) eventually, one can forget what and who they are . Where irony and sarcasm exist, bad habits are sure to follow and falling away from character.

Posted by Annette Paulsen on Saturday, Jul 7, 2012 2:59 PM (EST):“Simcha, I’m finishing up a master’s in bioethics and health policy. I know that you only briefly touch on the after-birth abortion article, but I’ve read it in its entirety and would like to offer another viewpoint. I believe the authors arguments in support of their position ultimately give support to those who are opposed to abortion…”
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I’d thought of that, too & wondered about their actual intent in writing the article.

Simcha, I’m finishing up a master’s in bioethics and health policy. I know that you only briefly touch on the after-birth abortion article, but I’ve read it in its entirety and would like to offer another viewpoint. I believe the authors arguments in support of their position ultimately give support to those who are opposed to abortion, a position that can be added to the arsenal of Church teachings, namely that if we as a society can justify killing an unborn healthy child (by virtue of the mother’s mental health, or family economics, or societal pressures) then we cannot claim that it is immoral to kill the healthy newborn because from a moral status the newborn is no different than the fetus. 

I’ve written more here:  http://churchworkhome.com/2012/07/07/after-birth-abortion/

Two things come immediately to mind—first, the old saying, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” I’ve always thought it meant that you can honestly do the wrong thing with good intentions, with a harmful result…which, as a road to Hell, seems a little extreme. But this piece puts a much more meaningful interpretation to it: if all you have is good intentions, and you think that that’s enough, you’re truly on a slippery slope—the Epistle of James comes to mind. And if your “good intentions” are insincere, condescending, or cynical, you’re on that slope on a toboggan!
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The other thing is a one-liner that’s almost as old: “If they hurt you and then say, ‘What’s the matter, can’t you take a joke?’—they weren’t joking.”

May I take this opportunity to make a few corrections: with apologies to Lee Gilbert who I called Gibson.  Also I remembered the article I read on Irony, Satire, and Sarcasm aa bit more clearly.  It explored the different forms of power relations that existed with respect to the three kinds.  With irony I believe they said, the speaker is more in control, in satire the comments are directed to peopleor about people with more power, and sarcasm, often comes from those who do not feel they are in power.  Just a thought.  Hope it helps.

Simcha, wonderful topic that is very dear to my heart (not that I’m much good at actually changing my attitudes to meet this belief. It’s a work in progress.)

It was interesting to me to look at the highly social or public examples you cited, because I don’t often think about them.

To me the biggest dangers of irony are internal. It’s very easy to let a smart, sarcastic narrator take over your head. It crowds out God. It crowds out the part of you that can be alone with Him too.

Thanks Lee Gibson: For your reference to St. Thomas and the jocuse lie.
I didn’t know this at the time of my confession, but for me irony of the particular nature at that particular time, was a way to defend myself without confrontation, but through a lack of sincerity therefore.  Inote the comment about irony being a response to being hurt, etc.  There are so many different variants:  irony, satire, sarcasm, depending on the degree to which what one is saying is camoflauged, and also to whom the comment is directed.  I think I have listed them in descending order from the most classic, (highest form) to the most ‘mean’, but I forget what I found on this when I explored.
Philosophically, Richard Rorty and other post-moderns are in favor of irony as a means in communication to highlight ‘cruelty’ done by humans to humans.  (I believe).  Also the New Age adoptation (and misunderstanding) of Buddhist detachment is resulting in many variants of their philosophy/psychology that miss the point that Buddhism deals primarily with the continuity within consciousness, and not it’s ‘manifestations’ within the world.  (MY interpretation).  But this may throw light on some of the ‘perversions’ of that ‘faith’, and yes it i a faith, which result in what is addressed in this artile as ‘habitual irony’....

Somewhere St. Thomas Aquinas lists irony as a jocose lie and therefore a sin. Why is it a sin?  Because as a lie (jocose or not) it breaks down the communication and communion between people.

I once knew a priest from Eastern Europe who habitually spoke ironically, which would have been alright if we had understood immediately that he was being ironic, but it took a while to get to know him.  Eventually he left the priesthood, and I am convinced that habit had everything to do with it. He had effectively cut himself off from other people.  No one knew who he was or what he really meant.

In his own mind I am sure that the statements he made seemed so outrageously at variance with reality that everyone would catch it, but that was not the case.  The worst part was that even when he dropped the ironic mode, one still suspected that he was speaking ironically.
He would be nonplussed to find his most matter-of-fact statements turned on their head and challenged.

Sarcasm and irony I’ve learned, are indeed closely related.  I read once that “the origin of the word sarcasm (from the Greek sarkazmos and sarkazein) literally means “to strip off the flesh.” Additionally, from Thomas Carlyle, Scottish essayist and historian,  “Sarcasm I now see to be, in general, the language of the Devil; for which reason I have long since as good as renounced it.”  Ouch.  I am renewed by this article, as a great sign of hope occurs when one writes about the issue most prevalent within themselves.  It is a great and humble step toward purification.  I will be reading your blogs more often now.:) 

Hi Simcha-I am a life-long Catholic and have been a catechist for many years (RCIA, prison ministry, etc.).  For much of my adult life, God has used irony often to teach me. For example, to point out to me the irrationality of some prejudices I had or to show me how I was as guilty or more guilty of certain behaviors that I was noticing in others. Irony (in the truest sense of the term) can be an effective means to teach someone an important lesson.

“Once we accept the idea that intention matters more than actual experience, we perceive sincerity where none exists.”
This is what our consciences know, but we have suppressed.  This truth is behind the uneasiness truly decent people feel when they use sarcasm.
Irony is a wonderful, useful communication tool. Sarcasm is nothing but hurt and pain inflicted on someone else because of our own inadequacies.

All families should squelch sarcasm’s ugly head every time it arises.
I speak from experience as both victim and perpetrator. 
My ex-husband’s most damaging legacy: “It’s only words!”

Sarcasm and irony can be very funny in the right company, but I think I get it.  This is why when I have tried to watch certain popular comedies (for instance, one rhymes with Flee), I can’t stand it.  Everything seems to be about fast-moving, look-how-clever-I-am sort of jokes.

Yes, but what about those born in New England? :-)

(The sarcasm capital of the US…if not North America…if not the world.  Although you would have to shoe horn New York City into being part of New England to make these statements strictly accurate.)

Habit is a word which implies to me, doing something over and over again, as in habit of thought, or habit of action.  In this case, perhaps there is some confusion between the two.  The idea of detachment in both Buddhism and Stoic thought I believe is to have ‘detachment from the world’, to act within thought in such a way that one can be ‘objective’.  I believe that objectivity would be lost with any transgression of the ironic throught as a gesture of action within the context of the world.
Thus I do not believe these people are being ironic, but are rather acting from a form of self deception.  Doing two things at once.  Thank you.

This is brilliant, and at an important time.  The poster who talked about Socrates’ classical irony is correct I think, but Simcha is referring to the modern usage of the uber-detached hipster type.  The hipster attitude people have mentioned of doing everything only partially in earnest (God forbid someone knew you did something because it actually meant something to you, that you are human) is deadly to relationships and our souls.  I think they get so lost in it they are suddenly dating, fornicating, marrying, forming their beliefs, all “ironically” while they maintain a cool distance from what’s really happening so “no one gets hurt” or something like that.  Yet inside , they are tailspinning and secretly want help.  I’ve encountered people like this and it’s tragic.  It’s a way of trying to maintain control in a world that no longer knows which was is up by being cool and collected all the time.  And it doesn’t work but many will persist in the illusion.

Thank you for writing this.  It’s a good reminder that especially for people who are clever and easily find things to critique in society (so hard, I know) it’s essential to still admit our humanity and act and speak in earnest.  We are here to save our souls, not our faces, after all.

In a completely different context, someone pointed out to me the difference between “intent” and “impact.”  In other words, the intention behind the words may have been innocent or funny, but it doesn’t diminish the impact they have on the hearer.  It’s good to keep in mind—and I do fear that many of us dismiss the impact of our words (or the movies, etc. we take in) because the intention wasn’t to harm.  Harm is still done sometimes, whether we intend it or not.

Thanks for the reminder.  As a very sarcastic person, I need to watch myself with irony, especially since many of my favorite comedies use the same irony you mentioned in the third paragraph.  (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Dr. Stragelove, etc.)  As a source of variety they are great, but all the time they would probably become problematic.

Thank you for posting.  You are spot on!  I think it isn’t a coincidence that the increase of sarcasm has accompanied the increase in immorality.

I think sometimes irony & “snark” cover up hurt & dissapointment, especially in young people.I like to consider that before reacting.

Well, a good balance must be struck.  Even Jesus used playful sarcasm with “the sons of thunder”.  JPII was known for that twinkle in the eye and a playful sense of humor.  He teased his friends with charm and wit.  The problem is that playfulness that is to be expected in the young of heart can so quickly devolve to offenses against charity.  This is where a parent naturally steps in and FIRMLY helps their kids see the difference,(sends Mr./Ms. Bigmouth to their room)... Once feelings are already hurt, that pernicious habit of self justification is the other tiresome habit a parent has to battle.

this resonates with me and my relationship a certain someone. she rarely apologizes for hurtful things she says or does, because she says she didn’t intend any harm. So she’s not sorry because it was never malicious! yeah well it still hurt.

My wife and I have been onto this for quite some time. Our culture almost encourages sarcastic behavior under the defense of just kidding or trying to be funny. We don’t do sarcasm in our house and we also expect that of our kids. They may (and will) learn it out in the world but they are not going to learn it from us. Sarcasm is hidden passive aggressive behavior in so many cases. I don’t care if you say you are joking/kidding, it is still mean and hurtful.

Bitter pills are hard to swallow; although, they typically benefit health—little ironic about the outcome of bitter pills swallowed—the story of Jesus, comes to mind:  it’s not so much what goes into your mouth, but what comes out of it.  Not altogether he meant much in the way of swallowing pride, but perhaps piqued it.

From a practical point of view, in a society where the insane is put forward as reasonable, just, and kind, any effort at irony is easily mistaken for sincerity.

I’m not warning so much against irony itself, so much as the HABIT of irony.  I would be utterly paralyzed in thought and word if I couldn’t employ irony; but I make a conscious effort to make sure that (a) I’m aware that I’m doing it, and (b) I haven’t lost the ability to speak or think (or experience life) without this mediation.  This is what is dangerous:  when we can’t stop, or when we’re not even aware we’re doing it.  See Kevin’s example from the Simpson’s. 

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I haven’t read Plato since college, so I’m really not capable of commenting on anything Socrates said at this point.

Big Brood Mama—thanks so much for your comment.  I’ve bigs and littles here as well and know of what you speak.  Snark was one of my husband’s weapons of self-defense, not being the ‘norm’ physically but above the norm intellectually.  It has leaked down to some of the kids but I am one to try stop them early on.  We do have some friends whose household oozes, drips with snark.  Expect to get it personally when you spend any amount of time there.  I sometimes shudder at the door.  The kids start by age 6 and their teens are almost unbearable to be around.  It is probably this family’s example that makes me step in before things get carried away.

Thank you very much for this.  I am wondering what you might think about ‘Socratic irony’, or the pointing up, (if this is correct) the inadequacies of thought, or the awareness of intent or action, through irony. 
But for the use of irony in post-modern circles, I investigated this as my daughter said that I had a propensity to ‘be mean’.  As you article points out this kind of distancing can produce such.  At one point I confessed it as a ‘sin’, which I believe in certain contexts it can be.
But I wonder too about paradoxical situations.  Can irony at times be the vehicle in which the alternative side of the oracular coin can be shown to be present. 
Please don’t misunderstand me.  I appreciated all of your examples, and concur with your opinion.  But Kierkegaarde pointed out the Abrahamic faith involved a kind of paradoxical irony of the kind which I am pointing to.  That involved in contradiction and paradox.  Just wondering.  Thanks.

Excellent points for reflection!  I may just print this off and read it every couple of weeks. :)

This is good. I often find myself allowing my vices (predominantly sloth) slide because “I didn’t mean to.” Oh, is this a kick in the butt!
The whole “but I’m a good person” is so pervasive in this culture that it easily permeates even formed consciences.
Some of my favoite “mommy blogs” have been about intentionality in parenting because it was what you describe- real and honest-something you don’t see a lot of in our culture and it drew me in like a light on a lampstand. So thank you- now I need to go get my work done like I INDENDED during the children’s nap time and not waste it on the internet.

First, let me agree that there is nothing like a little girl scream, to send me straight over the edge.  Being the mother of two boys before my darling daughter in no way prepared me for the reality of a little girl screeching at the top of her lungs either in play or anger. 

It is interesting that you are talking about the separation of the physical and the intentions.  I have recently been pondering how disconnected I am from the spiritual.  At communion, the God of the universe comes to us, yet He is not palpable in his glory only in a little bit of bread and wine.  Being raised in a very scientific mindset, that deals only with the physical, it is sometimes difficult to grasp that the spiritual is deeply connected with this bit of reality.

Oh no!  You have no idea how many entertaining comments about the topless men, and traditionalist Catholics I’ve had to suppress! I’m bursting at the seams.

As always, The Simpsons provides a useful illustration:

Teen 1: Oh, here comes that cannonball guy. He’s cool.
Teen 2: Are you being sarcastic, dude?
Teen 1: I don’t even know anymore.

(from episode 3F21, “Homerpalooza”)

Danielle:  I’ll trade you for “Joe’s Garage.”

well, now I have “ten thousand spoons when all you need is knife” stuck in my head.

crazylikeknoxes, I think you are exactly right. Non-cynical irony is an important, defensible part of western culture, and that is the only distinction I want to make. I just finished reading Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, and it just makes me think that folks like him and O’Connor are geniuses at irony, not only in their stories, but in their essays and in their public speaking as well. The modern world should be dealt with ironically, precisely because it acts like it has discovered the way to live forever, all while holding (excuse the pun) “a handful of dust.”
I always think of the saying “if you don’t laugh about it, then you would have to cry instead.” That to me is where Catholic irony is exactly correct. We can laugh at the irony of a world that thinks it will live forever all while dragging itself to destruction only because of the hope of the Resurrection. If there was no resurrection, there would be no room for true irony, but cynicism and absurdity. Irony implies that there is logic in the reversal: absurdism implies that there is no ultimate point at all. Camus’ “The Stranger” is not ironic; it is absurd. Kids today are not ironic, they are absurd. They do not even achieve satire, but at best farce. Satire is supposed to expose vice and pretention—farce is only out to mock. Let us not throw out the baby with the bathwater!

Snarky parents end up with snarky kids and grandkids.  Young adults hit about 15, and then it’s “right back atcha”, especially if they watch their older siblings always throwing off sharp witty remarks—so it gets worse.  If I could do it over again, I would have pulled that thorny weed out by the roots with real focus.  It’s true that we entertain each other with our sharp wit, and the (competition?) to make each other literally cry with laughter sometimes, but it’s like juggling dynamite.  The other problem with it amongst the older children in the family is that it sets up a fierce pecking order, based on who has the best job, grades, girlfriend etc. because everyone’s strengths and weaknesses become “fair game”.(sigh) No wonder my 16-year-old has the personality of a 40-year-old.  He’s really bright,and a bit of a know it all, so his three older siblings are constantly jumping on him to put him in his place.  I wish I had been forewarned, so I had put a REALLY firm hand to this sooner.  I’ve had to get really tough with them lately, but I’m afraid some of the behavior is entrenched, and will require more grace and personal conversion than what a mother can actually do on her own.

very good.  It reminds me of a line in “Batman Begins” which I really liked…I, being lame, can’t remember it exactly…but it’s when Batman is being the playboy and surrounded by scantily clad women, and he makes some excuse to Rachel about how this isn’t really him…and she says something like “it’s not what’s deep down in your heart that matters; it’s what you do”.

Okie:  I think what distinguishes the sarcasm/irony that Simcha writes about from the irony practiced by Socrates is that the former is really a type or expression of cynicism.  Socrates was ironic, but far from cynical.  [Not that anyone asked, but I used to be a big Frank Zappa fan and would excuse his excesses by believing that the culture he mocked merited them.  But that college chaplain was right - so that Frank, the culture he mocked, and that way of thinking all had to go.]

This is so true. I came to a point where I realized I was haphazardly exaggerating, distorting, telling white lies, and using sarcasm to avoid telling the exact truth. I decided to start being 100% honest; that is a lot harder than it seems! Seeking to never lie has forced me to be a better observer and describer, and has made me aware of how much other people’s exaggerations distort our sense of the world. If someone is constantly distorting the truth, it gets hard to know where normal is and if we’re doing okay. For that reason, I make sure I never distort the extent to which I have to work at losing baby weight, or saving money, or whatever. I used to hide the extent to which I was trying at something, and I think it’s because I liked the way people were in awe of how easily things came to me. But pretending that I “barely studied” does a disservice to people who did study and didn’t do as well as I did. It’s better that they know my efforts outstripped theirs than having to think that they’re just not that smart. As a teacher, I know this is a huge problem with students. Plenty of kids are naive enough to think that the smart kids really “didn’t study” and just assume they reside on the other side of a huge gulf in intelligence. Then the kids who need to study more end up not studying at all.
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I absolutely agree that the belief that you can observe or ironically engage in evil without being changed by it is devastating young people, myself at times included. Hence the importance of avoiding “the near occasions of sin.”

Isn’t it ironic when the news media (even Catholic news media)report scandals?  Doesn’t that just make scandals worse?  I’m always unsure where the line is on this one.  If a priest is caught in an affair and it is reported to the news media, is it more likely to make people falter in their faith?  Or will they be more encouraged?  People get so upset when the Catholic Church handles these affairs quietly, as if they should be out for all to see.  But honestly, I think they are trying to suppress the sin of scandal.

As a spouse who is always on the receiving end of nasty digs or comments that make me squirm with discomfort disguised as “just a little joke,” I appreciate this post. I am always being told I am too sensitive, that my spouse did not “intend” to cause pain. But what about causing joy instead? Thanks. Great post.

Simcha, thank you for this wonderful reminder!  I fell into this very trap for a long time - decades, in fact - before reverting to my childhood faith several months ago, and taking things - and actions as well as intentions and ideas - a whole lot more seriously than in my devil-may-care, ‘everything’s cool and I’m so hip’ days of yore.  And you know what? I find myself a whole lot more content with life nowadays.  Not that it’s become any easier - just that each day, each action and thought, has become more purposeful.  I only fear that the youth of today have totally adopted this seemingly ‘cool’, arrogantly self-satisfied and superiority-complex stance of irony and sarcasm.  Hoping (and praying) that a growing number of them realise how useless, unproductive and annoying that is, and find the Truth in Faith. (Nope, don’t have kids myself but see it in my nephews/nieces/kids of friends.)

Your post reminded me of this post written by an acquaintance of mine who works as a high school teacher: http://causafinitaest.blogspot.com/2012/02/heresy-in-education-or-education-in.html
Since reading his post, I have worked harder at instilling in my children the notion that our actions are directly tied to who we are, they can not be separtated. I’ve reminded them of the parable of the sons where one says he will help his father and doesn’t and the other says he will not help and yet does.

Really loved this line, “Once we accept the idea that intention matters more than actual experience, we perceive sincerity where none exists.” It’s going to have me thinking all day.

I respectfully disagree, as someone who loves Socrates too much to equate him with bufoonish hipsters! I think it is not that irony itself is wrong, but that what passes as irony and sarcasm these days are either not instances of such at all, or are poor examples of each. In Socrates, irony is the stance of the person who is truly humble—it is the baseline attitude of one who has been blessed with the love of wisdom. How joyful to understand the irony that, I am most wise when I admit that I am foolish?

The problem it seems to me with the inferior practicioners of this noble trade is that they always have someone else in mind they are trying to put down or arrogantly show their superiority over. Irony and sarcasm does not work without humility. If you do not see yourself in the thing you are sending up ironically, then you cannot pull it off in a worthwhile manner.

Remember, Our Lord uses irony all the time: the whole relationship between Peter’s assurance that he would never leave Jesus, his 3-fold denial, and his 3-fold answer to Christ’s “do you love me” may be the most penetrating look into the reality of faith within each person’s soul, and it stings so much and provides so much hope precisely because it is ironic! The last shall be first and the first shall be last, and thank God for it!

My college paper printed an op-ed where a student argued that when rappers call women b*tches and hos, they are really showing them respect.

I sighed heavily and said a prayer.

Thank you for this post. As one who does enjoy a good bit of irony this post has brought up things that I had not thought of. I must admit that my ironical tendancies flow from my pride… I am so smart and above it all that all of these negative things can have no effect on me (even when they obviously do). I’ll have to be more careful.

I’ve heard it said before that sarcasm is the worst form of humor, and this blog post explains exactly why. Christina, you’re exactly right about the “hipster” movement displaying those exact tendencies. Unfortunately, I see this kind of behavior or attitude in my little sister! Makes her irritable to deal with…

Brilliant. Especially useful as a guard against the hipster culture that does everything “ironically” and forgets to do anything authentically. Although I employ snark quite often, it’s always good to be reminded that we should live in reality rather than irony, the better to avoid sin and keep from annoying people by the ridiculous contradiction of our very existence.