By Jake Ramon
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Is gossip such a terrible thing?
Are you ready to read about the latest remarkable discoveries about gossip?
If yes, continue reading:
Gossip surrounds us all the time whether we like it or not. We often hear about Rihanna's latest exploits or the latest reality show participants, neighbors or just a co-worker.
Many of us deny that gossip something that interests us, and we try to play down the importance of the subject. We believe that gossip is a negative thing; people who do it are inquisitive and unhealthy.
However the gossip columns, magazines and programs devoted to gossip probably indicate that many of us are very interested in gossip even though we don't admit it.
What incredible things hide behind gossip?
Recent studies on gossip show that it has a very important social and psychological role, and its popularity has deep evolutionary roots.
Gossip exists in every culture around the world and was common throughout history, people of all ages gossip and it's common among men and women alike.
Gossip allows us to learn the unwritten rules and norms of behavior of groups or foreign cultures.
Gossip also serves an important role in reminding group members of accepted norms and values and can play an important role in punishing people who break the norms by spreading malicious gossip against them.
Who do we especially love to gossip about?
Various studies show that, people prefer to hear positive gossip about people close to them or whom they care about and negative gossip about strangers or people they dislike.
If the gossip is about potential opponents there is a high chance that the gossip will spread unless the gossip is about a potential mate.
Are women champion gossips?
Both men and women prefer to hear gossip about people of the same sex and age, but women tend to be more obsessive about gossip about other women.
Men tend to gossip more when they are with their partners, while women gossip equally with their partners and their friends.
Do we dare gossip positively about foreigners?
In principle, people are not interested in listening to or relaying positive gossip about strangers.
These findings support the hypothesis that the reason for gossip is an evolutionary mechanism to increase personal status, and because the biggest competition comes from the same species and the same age group, we will limit positive gossip about our competitors.
What's so hot about celebrity gossip?
These findings also explain people's obsession with gossip about celebrities such as actors, singers, and politicians.
High-status people attract attention. Throughout our lives, these people have a big impact on us and so we feel it's important for us to follow their actions.
A high status person is probably an important and wealthy society member, and therefore it is important for us to know as much as possible about him.
Why are we interested in positive gossip about celebrities?
People want to hear positive gossip sometimes, like the news of a celebrity's wedding or giving birth. Why does this happen? What motivates people to follow obsessively after Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and their entire family saga?
Perhaps the explanation lies in the fact that they are actually not so foreign to us. Through their movies and the endless documentation of their lives, we have a sense of intimate familiarity with them.
Today, the media bombard us with information, and our evolutionary mechanism identifies the information as if it was gossip about people close to us. We think we know the brightest stars as if they were our neighbors, and we are naturally curious about them.
In summary, the power of gossip!
Gossip is a much more complex phenomenon than it appears at first glance. Looking at it only as something negative misses much of its significance.
Gossip is an integral part of what defines us as human beings and what makes life in society what it is. Good gossip is invaluable and could define our relationship with others.
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