The Virtues of Gossip: Richard Weiner at TEDxMiami
The Virtues of Gossip
I have some gossips to tell you. If you love gossip, raise your hand. Excellent! I am here to discuss the virtues of gossip. Do you think most gossip is nonsense? Do you think gossip is an original sin? Do you think gossip is harmful and hostile? Do you think the subject of gossip is mostly celebrities? If your answer is yes, I will wait to destroy the common myths about gossip. Yes i know the main religions both prohibit or discourage gossip. Paradoxically, almost everyone can gossip. Fortunately, for gossip, People who listen to gossip, groups, and our society are good.
During my work in the media and public relations field, I learned the value of gossip. I have written 23 books, Including New Webster’s Dictionary of Media and Communication World. I am also writing under the pseudonym of Stephen King. Definition of gossip in most dictionaries, ‘They all talk about “informal conversation”, “Chat”, “rumor”‘. I don’t like the word “chat”.
My definition is as follows: Gossip is a written or verbal conversation, It’s about the private lives of others.
Gossip usually has a judgmental nature, Gossip often provides moral measures. Many dictionaries equate gossip and rumors. They are very different. Gossip usually has an identifiable source. Rumors usually don’t. Gossip is usually based on truth. Rumors are usually false. We are now in the era of gossip flying, More than a billion people gossip on Facebook and other blogs, There are ways to gossip face to face, talk on the phone, send text messages, and other media. Scientists around the world are studying how / why we gossip. We were gossiping before blogs, television, newspapers, and magazines appeared. Cavemen need gossip to survive. Cavemen rely on gossip to find friends, Avoid the enemy, Know what is best for foraging, hunting, and having the best protection. “And what happened to the woman next to the cave?” (laughter) Social networks have long existed. Fight from early villagers Once you find common interests with your neighbors. Online social networks are new communities.
Four psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley Recent publications point out that gossip has great benefits, Media all over the world have liked it. In the experiment, Students wear heartbeat monitors, Used to measure the effectiveness of gossip. This matter is on the front page, Because it contradicts the belief that gossip is bad for many years. Everyone can gossip. It’s so natural that we hardly realize it. Our conversation was about half the time It’s all gossip.
Gossip is impossible to avoid. The objects of our gossip are mostly people we know. Only a small part is talking about celebrities, This is the focus of the media. Most of the gossip we speak is positive or neutral. More gossip about celebrities is negative. Gossip reduces stress, Promote self-esteem, Connect friendship- These are sources from psychologists at the University of California, They write in scientific journals like this– Gossip can stimulate the stock market, Affect voting, And change the way we look at others and the way others look at us. A baby as young as six months can judge character, Be aware of the difference between good and bad behavior. After we learn to speak, we begin to gossip. Women have been linked to gossip. Male gossip is not inferior to females, It’s just that the gossip is different from the place.
Most of the male gossip is And sports, politics, And sex related people. Progesterone is a female hormone, It reduces anxiety, Strengthen friendship. In gossip, Women’s luteinizing hormone levels Those who do not gossip are slightly higher– This is also from scientific journals. Scientists are studying gossip Traffic increases pleasure hormones, And find out in the brain Where is it related to gossip, And related hormones: Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin. Oxytocin promotes satisfaction, Generosity, empathy, and trust, These are all potential elements of gossip. The active gossip will have a bigger brain, Not kidding. Individuals with larger social networks, The gossip, The prefrontal cortex area in the brain will be slightly larger. Gossip is prevalent in small towns and in isolated areas. In totalitarian countries, Gossip is usually more accurate than government reports. Gossip is a way of life in our country, Brotherhood and sisterhood in college, Military state house, This is true of supportive living housing and prisons. It’s an easy language to use, Can interact with people with similar lifestyles and interests, Such as neighbors, athletes, students, and workers. It ’s a way to deliver personal information. It’s correct, efficient, and fun.
One thing is surprising: Some companies prohibit office gossip. Most are small companies. Some recent studies have pointed out The damage caused by the anti-gossip rules. About sixty years ago, The gossip king of the United States is Walter Wincher. His gossip column appeared in more than a thousand newspapers. He has more radio and television viewers than any show today. Today, Paris Hilton, Goka, TMZ , And other digital media are spreading celebrity gossip, There is no national border, day and night.
Gossip magazines are just as important, For example, “Time”, “Star”, “Us”, and many others, There are also supermarket tabloids, such as the National Inquirer. My task today To convince you that gossip has many benefits. It is possible that other animals will gossip: Chimpanzees, maybe dolphins. I have three important points. First, gossip is a good thing. Please spread it out. Second, be a gossip freely. Third, don’t criticize other gossip. Now, be honest, If you are a gossip, raise your hand. I think I see more hands now than before.
