Gossip is a behavior observed in almost all cultures, from the cities moved to the remote agricultural communities. But why are we so attracted to her?
He can ruin his reputation. It can justify your behavior. It’s fun. And for many it is “sin”.
Gossip is a behavior that anthropologists have observed in most cultures, from urban areas to rural and remote agricultural areas.
“All gossip in all cultures have been seen the right circumstances,” says Nicole Hagen Hess, professor of evolutionary anthropology at Washington State University in the United States.
When we think of gossip, we can imagine talking in the back of someone with bad intentions. But Hess offers a wider vision. Gossip, he said, is any exchange of “relevant information for reputation”.
This can mean what friends, family, colleagues or even rivals say about us, but also includes what is said about the news or even on the results of a sporting event, he says.
“By my definition, you don’t have to have a third absentee part on which you are breaking – it could be right in front of you,” he explains. “If you are talking about her, what do you think of her clothes or what she has done, I would consider it as gossip.”
But because humans have evolved to behave this is a question that researchers are discussing to date. Subsequently they are some of the main theories.
Necktie
The idea that Gossip can play a positive role in society has been made popular by Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary anthropologist.
According to your theory, in primates, insurance is a social behavior, as is hygienic. In addition to creating bonds, it can also be used to make peace after combat, reduce tension and establish the place of every primate in the social hierarchy.
This process is known as “Alologistoming”, which would be the social guarantee, created between animals of the same species.
But since humans do not have hair, gossip and small conversations can be the modern human equivalent of “assignment” – serving a similar purpose in the construction of relationships, establishing their position in a hierarchy of colleagues and exchanging social information, such as those who trust and who do not trust.
For Dunbar, the language has even evolved to allow people to give up.
In a 2021 study at the University of Dartmouth, the researchers found that people who disappear together not only influenced mutual opinions, but are also close to the process.
“We hypothesize that the participants have established a sense of mutual convergence, creating a” shared reality “that served to influence the behavior and prospects mutually and, at the same time, to satisfy the intrinsic desire for mutual social connection”, wrote the researchers.
They also discovered that Gossip contributed to promoting cooperation in a group environment, noting that the participants were willing to contribute more money to a group game when they had the opportunity to gather with each other.
“Gossip is not a monolithic construction and is more complex than the limited definition of conversation of size without foundation reflected by our popular intuitions,” concluded the researchers.
Kelsey McKinney, podcast of the founder’s podcast Normal gossipIn which ordinary people share their gossip, you know how a good story can bring foreign closers.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began and people were forced to isolate themselves, the need for stories became even bigger.
“I realized that we were needy,” he says.
“Much of our lives and the way we perceive the world is through the narrative that we tell ourselves, and gossip is the narrative. We tell ourselves of ourselves and therefore there is a risk in it, but there is also very well,” he says.
Survival
Human beings have evolved over millions of years to learn the best way to protect themselves and protect those around them from possible damage.
For some women, Gossip is a vital tool in this survival strategy, especially when it comes to threats, as risky relationship situations.
“Women are in a huge physical disadvantage when it comes to fighting a man. It is important information that you want to share above all with female relatives and closed allies,” says Nicole Hagen Hess.
Survival and our place in society also depend strongly on reputation.
Having a bad reputation can be devastating, explains Hess. This can undermine your social position, limit economic opportunities and even influence access to resources such as food. So when people do negative gossip about you, it can really cause significant damage, “he says.
Hess maintains that gossip is also a form of social control used to maintain or improve its position in a hierarchy.
People try to manage the way they are perceived on their social networks, then they polish each other through gossip, he says, adding that they also use gossip to protect their reputation and sometimes undermine rivals.
“Human beings are intrinsically competitive with other members of their kind and conflict is not something we will get rid of.”
Fun
For most people, gossip may seem like harmless fun.
“This is the type of gossip in which I specialize,” says McKinney’s Podclots.
His charm for the theme – and his passion to tell stories – derives from the fact that he grew up in a religious house, where he was taught that the gossip were sinful.
“A good gossip is something that immediately comes out of the mouth for someone else,” he says.
And what would be a world without gossip? “Oh, my God. Boring”, laughs.
Whether it’s fun, survival or social bond, gossip have become a constant in our life – something “universal human” that should not be discarded, says Hess.
“Gossip has consequences in the real world,” he explains. “If they were nothing but random, false and informal conversations, they would not have an impact on how people decide to allocate the benefits to other members of their communities”.
With further report of the BBC World Service.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
