- Humans spend about 60% of all their conversation gossiping i.e. talking about someone who is not present. While this is often seen as a negative, evolutionarily it was really important and allowed humans to understand who has their back. - That's not to say that gossiping is a good thing but mostly to acknowledge that it's something everyone does and know that this is normal in a networking setting. - Thought it might seem negative gossiping is fundamental to human nature and has a lot of benefits. - The act of gossiping could be seen as a way to earn trust and to bond with someone. There are negative gossip and sometimes can end up being tattling but the inherent idea of gossip is totally fine. --- #curiousminds 179 - Marissa King On Feeling Good About Networking - "The act of gossiping, of exchanging information, is actually a powerful form of social bonding. - [Link](https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/30/23895322/gossip-tiktok-finding-sarah-friendship-tattletale) - “Gossiping, although it has a negative context, has lots of pro-social benefits,” Michael Stefanone, a professor at the University at Buffalo, told Vox." - [Link](https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/30/23895322/gossip-tiktok-finding-sarah-friendship-tattletale) - "When I gossip or talk about someone I know with you, what I’m attempting to do is bond with you. I’m attempting to feel important to you because I’m bringing something to you,” Alexandra Solomon, a lecturer and clinical psychologist who studies relationships at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, told me. “I’m attempting to share an experience with you where I think we’re both going to feel similarly. So the gossip is about this third person, but actually, what I’m attempting to do is connect with you, the listener.”" - [Link](https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/30/23895322/gossip-tiktok-finding-sarah-friendship-tattletale)