The Secret Social Superpower: Why Gossip Is Essential to Human Bonding

Psychologically, engaging in gossip can also be a healthy way to vent emotions, seek validation, and process anxieties. When faced with uncertainty about a person's motives or behavior, discussing it with a trusted confidant helps to "validate information" and check one's perceptions against another's. It's a natural coping mechanism for dealing with the ambiguities and complexities of social interaction, allowing people to explore their own feelings and worries through the lens of another's experience.