Comments on: Gossip can have social and psychological benefits

By: Berber Anna

Berber Anna — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:42:52 +0000

Shaun: Are you saying I’m missing an important part of my personal development because I can’t have alcohol (if I want to avoid getting very sick)? Interesting perspective. My dad’s personality seems developed enough, though, and he’s never had more than a few sips of champagne on New Year’s — he’s been raised to avoid alcohol and says he doesn’t see its appeal.

By: Shaun Banks

Shaun Banks — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:25:37 +0000

Gossip is like alcohol – There is a limit to how much a person can take.

Gossip is an import part of personal development up to a certain level before it has the opposite affect – again just like alcohol.

Personally I think gossip is the fools mental chewing gum

By: Nick

Nick — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:05:59 +0000

Recap D B post: Using experiments where people could cheat on a test, Chance has found that cheaters not only deceive themselves, but are largely oblivious to their own lies. Their ruse is so potent that they’ll continue to overestimate their abilities in the future, even if they suffer for it. Cheaters continue to prosper in their own heads, even if they fail in reality.

Yikes!

By: Nick

Nick — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:00:23 +0000

So gossip is good provided you are genuine and not self centered, …, beware of the slippery slope of self dishonesty. How do you work out if you are lying to yourself and or others. I remember a post on Gaddaffi somewhere had some info.

By: Ming

Ming — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:19:11 +0000

“but forget it right at those moment some juicy gossips are flowing from our own silky lips.”

Ming’s intergalactically patented mind-goo is eroding the word-cluster of this mortal’s brain.

This pleases Ming.

By: roz

roz — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:33:25 +0000

whenever i started a new job, i liked to plant rumors about myself. i would plant a different one with everybody i worked with. then, if i heard one of em come back to me, i would know exactly who blabbed & avoid giving em any info in the future!

machiavellian? yeah, i’ve been called that…snicker

By: alan

alan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:29:38 +0000

GOSSIP CAN HAVE SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS
Not only that. But render it down into soaps, and it’ll keep some entertained indefinitely.

By: Magician in Edinburgh

Magician in Edinburgh — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:32:15 +0000

Never really though of it that way. Perhaps I should gossip more!

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:38:14 +0000

Also read the much earlier book by Robin Dunbar (as in Dunbar’s number, look it up folks), called “Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language”. It’s great reading.