Why do people gossip?

To be quite frank people do love to talk about themselves. But sometimes due to lack of exciting things in their own lives people start taking interest in life of others. Human beings are inherently curious. They have an indomitable hunger for information. The best solution to this hunger is of course, studying and doing research. But there is another quicker, easier way to satisfy our curiosity and that's by gossiping. Believe me, if we had enough time to gossip and if it didn't have its notoriety then every one of us would love to gossip 24x7. There two ways to get rid of gossip. First, we should get busied in something more productive, creative or innovative. Secondly, we should learn to treat people with more sensibilities and kindness.

Actually, people do talk about themselves. Usually, it is called bragging. And if they talk good of others, it is called praising. But we know people usually only think highly of themselves more than others (I think it is the sin in all of us, we are not humble enough). So we talk the others DOWN, that's gossip. There is another post like last week that talks about gossip as well, and I gave my rule of gossip. You might want to go over there and see...shhhhh...don't tell anyone. It's here in myLot: http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2465216.aspx Go discretely. The discussion was started by dear infatuatedbby.

I'm not a real big gossiper. I do try to catch up on what's going on with my friends, but I don't think it's considered gossip. I don't spend time talking about other people without them being present. But I know some people like to talk about others..and I really am not sure what that benefit would be.

I think people gossip because they have nothing better to do with their time. /When the gossip is about someone else it is exciting to them. They know it can't be about them.

Some people gossip because they want to feel that someone is in a more miserable state than them. They feel happy knowing that themselves. They feel jealous of one's life's achievement so they try to put that person down by gossiping things that are sometimes demeaning and untrue.

I believe that they do that because if they make someone else look bad it makes them look better but to me it has the opposite affect if anyone starts talking about someone else I start to lose a lot of respect real quick. I know some days we all have someone who is like 2 seconds from getting hit by you and you need to vent to an understanding ear to keep your self out of prison lol but if they normally just gossip about who said what and who sleeps with who then they slowly stop being my friend or someone I talk to I have to much going on in my life to waste time with that type of person

Usually they gossip out of meanness but if they ONLY talk about themselves then they are called big headed egoists. So I guess nothing will change as human nature doesn't change.

Gossiping is part of life and will never end and will always be something people do in life. You see it in magazines and you see it on TV and its not just us normal people but also people with money and its life as i said before. The best is people watching and just picking apart people and there are so many people in life that do this and you have seen it on tv on What not to wear as they do it and once again its life and the way people live. Its a think in high school that they all do and its gets them in trouble but it comes down to the he said she said bull and then its once again something in life you have to live with.

Do you what, that is human nature. People intend to talk about other people behind their backs. While it is not okay if someone else talk about them; they felt offended. So, it is best not to gossip about other people. You keep your boundary, while others keep their territories. No one offending anybody, that should be fair.

Good question - I think it's because people don't know how to mind their own business, and spreading rumours just seem like fun, they enjoy it (when you sit down and analyse the whole psychology of it) Iknow, I used to gossip myself, then I stopped and thought about what I was doing, then wondered what was making me doing it. It was scary when I discovered the answers.

I don't know. I have the same question! I don't like to talk about other people unless they are bothering me or I need to talk to someone about them. I think a lot of the time people like to talk about other people because something is bothering them. Someone also told me that people like to gossip because it makes them feel good about themselves to say bad things about other people. I don't know if this is true. Personally, I don't feel good about myself if I gossip about others, so I don't know why other people would feel good about themselves.

I think that this is just part of life really, not just the times that we live in as this has been going on for such a very long time. It seems that some people are quick to judge others when not really knowing them, then you have many people gossip about them. In the end it can cause a lot of pain as many people will assume that what has been said about a person is true. People don't always look at facts. Why do people have to gossip about others? Possibly becuase there own lives are so boring that they do this. If they have nothing positive to say when talking about others then why say anything at all? Some people are just way too nasty really.

Many people are fond of idle gossip that direct against others.Especially when others suffer from something they still do so.This is no different from that dropping stones on someone who has fallen into a well.

Man is a social animal and to stay a part of society, he needs to communicate with other people. Now, gossiping is probably the best conversation cause for many people. You needn't know another person to gossip about him or her. That is what makes gossiping the easiest timepass for most people.

Personally i think they talk about others as there own life is so boring and others is more interesting but the way i look at it if it is malicious gossip is that all the time they are talking about me they are leaving someother poor person alone.

As much as we may not want to admit it, gossip is just plain entertaining. I don't think of myself as a gossip and I do try not to listen to it, especially when it is malicious and unfounded but even when I try my best I usually end up overhearing something that then gets my ears itching. If you are not careful you cna be pulled into talking about people that you don't know anything about.

i guess gossip is like the easiest way to feel superior without having to commit a crime... :X