The potential benefits of gossip ?

[Invisible Gorilla]

Many people within our society seem to be very interested in gossip. Some believe that it's beneficial since it helps people relieve their stress, while others think that it might actually harmful since it may create mistrust among the members of a particular society. The truth is probably more complex than that since it seems that this concept is evident in different societies which might suggest that it could have evolutionary benefits ... Obviously, the aim of this thread is not to encourage gossip. It's simply to explore the possible reasons why this behavior might be beneficial for the society.

For instance, gossip might indirectly emphasizing the significance of social norms which creates a sense of togetherness between those who engage in it. What might be felt while gossiping could go something along this line of feeling "Did you see ?? She/He did something strange ... We didn't ... We're more similar as we conform to the same social norms unlike him/ her..." Perhaps a different train of thoughts or feelings are also possible .... Eventually, this may create a sense of togetherness at the unconscious level ... Obviously this simplified interpretation probably fails to really explain what's actually going on, which is why I'm wondering what you guys think about this.

Do you think there are other ways in which gossip might be beneficial for the society (or at least for its majority) ?? Or do you disagree with this notion being beneficial ? Please justify your reasoning ...

PS: Again, I am in no way advocating gossip nor do I mean to offend anyone. I'm just trying to explore why such a behavior might be common in our modern societies, despite of the fact that it, in some ways, might alienate some people.

 

[Sinny91]

Gossip is the transference of information.
It serves a purpose, albeit often negative.

 

[Hadoblado]

It's pretty complex.

Mostly I think it comes down to posturing, learning, indirect punishment for perceive wrong-doings, in-grouping, mudslinging, information gathering, and demonstrating competence. It's also kinda fun (I gossip mercilessly).

I can remember a time when I didn't gossip, it just wasn't how I was raised. I can't remember what age I was, probably 10yo or so, but people started gossiping and it made me feel awfully uncomfortable. Why would people say such terrible things? What if the person in question finds out? Somewhere down the track I internalised the habit however, I think it's served me fairly well as far as social development is concerned. Much like Minu below, though perhaps with more gusto :S

 

[Minuend]

Personally, I benefited from it, it helped me figure out and understand people and social dynamics. I was quite the socially clueless teenager and remained so until about 17 when I met a friend who tended to gossip to me about others. Sometimes talking about their personal history, other times she would say things like "did you see how angry he got when she said that" in situations I hadn't detected any anger from anyone at all, much less any tension. Things like this helped me understand how people were shaped and how to think and what to look for when analyzing and understanding people. My understanding was lifted and I became less naive.

I guess it depends on what you consider gossip, but talking about other people's behavior behind their backs, understanding their history and analyzing their behavior is still a vital part of continuing to broaden my understanding.

Though I guess quite a few persons don't have that kind of motivation when gossiping. A relative was recently complaining abut the behavior of a neighbor and I tried brainstorming with it to figure out why the neighbor did what it did, but I don't think said relative was particularly impressed )-:

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I don't think this is restricted to modern times. Gossip is a way of exchanging information, or maybe gossip is a poor outcome of information exchange. It existed long before modernity.

It has many benefits depending on the acquired knowledge and has one major detrimental effect. Gossip alienates individuals who aren't included in the gossip exchange.

If an individual is prone to be left alone or behaving intolerably in some average (group norm) way, gossip makes it more likely for new people who rely on hearsay to exclude that person from their social circle, thus perpetuating the exclusion even more.

Usually the excluded individual later suffers from a number of social disadvantages and is treated unequally. Becomes less adaptable and even less likely to recover and practice interpersonal skills, languishing in a self-fueled prison.

Gossip's effect isn't restricted to discussing others, it's also about creating negative and positive feedback chains to popular trends. In their future encounters, people sometimes rely on other's opinions when confronting a particular personality, idea or concept, making a hasty judgment, if said judgment pertains the individual, they are also assigned initial disadvantages, expectations or preconceptions.

It can be beneficial, but can also turn out harmful depending of the sum total of agents and their resources.

 

[Sir Eus Lee]

OP, thanks for starting these awesome threads. Great discussion topics.

I think Gossip is kind of a loose term. I'm going to define it for my post as "negative discussion about an individual when they are not present, or aware of the conversation discussed and the topics in it." Positive discussion of aspects of individuals is very different.

I make this distinction because I think talking about people is a necessary thing. Often it can be uplifting about a person and affirm good qualities about somebody. The trouble with gossip is when people are persuaded to be against somebody, or about that person's bad qualities, because that person's bad qualities are between that person and their own self, and judging them for it is unbounded- baseless. You can barely understand yourself, much less understand others.

Also, the information you bring into an argument changes the outcomr, and this is very true with people: the aspects you highlight can completely change their social reputation to others. So naturally in discussion you WILL change their reputation to something other than what that person has presented to others, whether for good or for bad.

So I think talking about people's actions is permissable, but the context in which those actions are discussed, the environment in which they are discussed, and the actions you are discussing should be carefully monitered. For example, if the action that would be discussed is something not very many people knew about or that the person/subject would not spread themself, then it shouldn't be discussed.

But discussing somebody's actions as something you aspire to, or as something interesting or unique, then it can't hurt, I guess. It would be important to be objective, but naturally perfect objectivity is difficult to attain.

Of course, even positive discussion could lead to negative talk, so the discussion would have to be carefully monitered.

I guess it's important to judge people's actions, but to not judge that person for it. We all make mistakes, and gossip can sometimes just be a way to focus and highlight mistakes or problems others have.

As for a societal standpoint, I think Gossip is basically for self esteem and to form social groups. It causes two mentalities (among others):

1. Person X did Y therefore I (we) am (are) better than them, I (we) am (are) not like them.

2. Because we are not like them, we are similar in that regard, and can tighten our group together.

Gossip is an easy facet because there's an endless supply of material that you can justify as below you and you can always find to use to elevate yourself/ demolish others. Not only does it elevate you, but a skillful gossiper can manipulate reputations in their favor.

Unfortunately, I think Gossip breeds gossip, and if the society embraces it, then eventually group members just end up alienated from others. A gossiper alienates a member, and the the gossiper gets in turn alienated. Like Mean Girls.

Some of these points were already touched on as I now read back through what I skimmed... but that's alright.

I think Gossip as a whole is detrimental. Actions of others need to be discussed, but never for leverage, IMO.

Personally, I've never really been in many gossipy situations, and I am perhaps the least judgemental person I can think of, but I don't know, so perhaps I have gossiped and just wasn't aware of it (weak Je). If anything I didn't mentally file into that category.

 

[EditorOne]

Gee, are we overthinking this?

Gossip is the human equivalent of primates picking fleas off each other. It's a form of bonding. The "negative" gossip is just when somebody finds a particularly ugly flea.

 

[Pyropyro]

The others are right. Gossip is merely a social tool and a means of transferring information.

It's actually useful if you know how to play your cards right. I prefer to ask the right questions so as to maximize your benefit from them, mostly for professional use. In return, you give them little favors for their trouble. A little positive enforcement won't hurt.

Example:
Good:
Question: Hey, who's the go-to guy here for processing finances?
Favor: I can help you follow up your queries with <insert colleague>.

Bad:
Question: So <X> and <Y> are getting divorced?!?!
Favor: What until you know what happened to <Z>!

 

[Urakro]

- Is this gossip slander?
- If factual, was it meant to be private?
- What is the purpose of the remark?

The social bonding benefit might be secondary to the real purpose of sharing information injected with personal opinion. It says more of the gossiper than the person being talked about.