So the next time your friend texts you, “Hey, can I come over and play with your ferret?” and you’re sick and tired of your friend’s typos, instead of responding with “Okay!” you opt for, “What?! I am a ferret?! RUDE. " Being cheeky.
Our buddy William Shakespeare said it best when he said, “I’d challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed. " Comebacks are sassy when they’re disguised as a statement of fact or a question, as opposed to stating your opinion. They’re nicer on the outside than they are on the inside. Instead of saying, “Oi! Shut up!” You say, “Is your name Kanye West? It’s not? Then stop interrupting me. " Kind of like that. Or, next time your friend is talking about how awesome they are, you say, “I’d like to agree with you, but I don’t want to be wrong. " Zing!
If being confident sounds like a challenge to you, it may be easiest to start on the outside in. True, confidence comes from the inside, but a little can seep in from the outside! Get dressed up, start feeling good on the outside, and act like you think a confident you might act. Practice makes a habit, after all!
Sassy people tend to zero-in on two types of humor: humor at another’s expense and humor at their expense (aka self-deprecating humor). Both are light-hearted, of course! So next time your friend has chocolate cake on their face all day, tell them, “You had chocolate cake on your face all day. Because you ate it alone. So. Very. Alone. " And then when you have chocolate cake on your face all day, you tell everyone it’s because you ate it alone. So. Very. Alone.
This is, however, not an excuse to be mean. Sassy is not mean. So when your friend isn’t pulling their weight on that group project of yours, it’s not your place to say, “Yo. Check yourself before you wreck our grade, slacker. " Instead, you’re the one in the group with the moxie to say, “Hey. We’re all working our butts off here. If you don’t want to help, you’re more than welcome to do a project alone, but we’d rather you chip in. " Yeah, some people will take your directness and honesty as being mean, but those are the people that expect you to be a doormat. As long as you’re not going around hurting feelings for breakfast, you’re fine.
Seriously. Be that person that can have fun with anything. Did you get an extra-large slice of coffee cake at lunch today? SCORE. Uh oh. Did you spill that coffee cake on your shirt? Fashion show time! Stains are all the rage, you know. Is Becky looking at you funny, modeling your coffee cake stain? Just tell her if she can rock pit stains, you can rock the cake stains. (Said with a smile, of course. )
So whether you’re cracking jokes, telling stories, or putting on lunch-stain fashion shows, go for it. Don’t shy away from all eyes being on you. And the best part? Your positive energy and vivaciousness will keep any party going. Not everybody can play that role!
So when your teacher gives you three days to write that 5-page paper, you tell him that that’s an illogical amount of time. When your crush tells a funny joke, you’re not afraid to tell him how cute he is. And when your friend is wearing that pair of pants she should not be wearing, you tell her before anyone else notices.
Walk with your head high! Shoulders back and not slouching. Too much confidence for that! Don’t shy away from eye contact. You’ve got things to say and other people do, too. Why not connect with them in the process? Be flirty. Smile, touch the person you’re interested in, laugh – you know how it goes. An eye roll or some other body equivalent (something like “talk to the hand,” but less 1999) has its place in being sassy, too, but keep it to a minimum. That stuff gets negative pretty easily.
Being sassy is partly about knowing your audience. You may have a friend that can’t handle your sarcasm or you poking fun at them. If that’s the case, recognize this. You shouldn’t have to change yourself for anyone, no, but you should have to consider their feelings.
Prominent examples that come to mind? Beyoncé, Ke$ha, Rihanna, even Taylor Swift has her sassy moments. Kristen Wiig, Jennifer Lawrence, and Tina Fey are good, too. Though your Aunt Jean isn’t a bad idea, either!
“Stylishly” is obviously relative. If you’re into the punk scene, you’re not going to think haute couture is stylish. Trust whatever this word means to you. The important thing to take away from this is that your clothes have an effect on people – including you. Can you imagine being sassy in a walrus outfit?
So whether it’s public speaking, heights, or slugs, challenge yourself. You’re not afraid of challenging others, right? You call ’em out, you tell it as it is, you’re honest – so you have to be honest with yourself, too. It’s only fair! Dunno where to start? How about wikiHow’s How to Overcome Fear article?
Don’t be surprised when everyone else starts doing krav maga or playing the uke, too. The sassy ones are often the trendsetters, doing what other people are often too afraid to do.
