Info about Gossip
Rumors and Gossips: Why do People Spread Them?
Rumors are not a new phenomenon. False rumors and instances of gossip have been documented throughout history. In fact, rumors and the spreading of malicious gossip were prominent themes in many of the plays written by William Shakespeare. It is difficult to be in the workplace or even among a group of friends without hearing a number of rumors spread from time-to-time.
The big question is why do people do it? Why is the urge to spread rumors such as strong one?
One reason why rumors are so easily spread is that the person who is doing the rumor-spreading, somehow, gains a sense of superiority. At times, when individuals suffer from low self-esteem, they operate under the mistaken impression that if someone else is worse off than they are, then their own egos will be rewarded with a boost.
The simplest way for these individuals to make certain that someone else is on the bottom rung of the social ladder is to create and spread a false rumor about that person.
A strange social acceptance is also attached to spreading rumors and gossip about people. When among a social or business group whose members are engaging in these kinds of activities, one might feel compelled to display similar behaviors in order to fit in and feel more a part of the group. This can sometimes instill a feeling of camaraderie or inclusion when one is let in on a “secret”, whether or not the said secret is actually true. It is for this reason that, at times, people simply make up gossip and rumors in order to feel included.
Unfortunately, more often than not, the person who is victim of the rumors is excluded as part of the group altogether.
Being the center of attention can be an additional reason why people gossip about others. The bearer of misfortunate news about someone else, regardless of any degree of accuracy, usually manages to hold the attention of the person or persons to whom the story is being told. As the old adage goes, “Negative attention is better than no attention,” or so it would appear. Usually these things tend to backfire, however, leaving the teller of the gossip wishing that he or she had chosen a more positive route.
Sometimes an individual will start a rumor as a means to gain control of a situation or to elevate themselves socially. When people are determined to climb to the top of the social ladder, they will often resort to unfair gossiping as a weak attempt to achieve their goals. They suffer from the delusion that their reduction of the status of the object of their gossip will, somehow, elevate their own status.
Sadly, there are people who gossip about others because they seek revenge for some real or imagined slight that they perceive has been perpetrated against them. This has the potential to cause great harm to the person being gossiped about and seldom pays off for the person spreading the gossip.
Starting a false rumor or engaging in gossip about another person can be a powerfully harmful means of exclusion. The best practice is to avoid doing these things altogether.