Gossip as a Part of Human Culture - Term Paper Example

People in favor of gossiping would say that it helps everyone to know where they are in society. It is never nice to hear something bad said about you to your face, but it is even worse when it is said behind your back. Whenever someone gossips about another person, that person may be picked on or perhaps ostracized based on what has been said about them behind closed doors. If someone finds out that they have been gossiped about, it can destroy their confidence because they may feel like what the gossiper was saying is true. Another reason why gossip should not be encouraged is that it can spread false rumors.

People who like to gossip often do so about people or situations that they know very little about. It is possible that they get some of the key facts wrong and this changes everything completely. If people start to believe false information, then it can lead to mistakes and bad decisions. People should not be talking about something if they do not know everything that there is to know about that particular issue. Finally, gossip can also lead to a bad reputation for the person who always likes to go around telling stories about someone else.

These kinds of people are known for being untrustworthy because no one ever knows if they are going to gossip about what they are told. This will inevitably lead to a lack of friendships for the gossiper because no one will feel like spending time with them and sharing information. Gossipers usually try to spread information about others to gain friends, but the typical result is that the opposite comes true; no one wants to be their friend because of their gossiping habit. Despite all of these negative benefits to gossiping, some people would say that gossiping is a good thing because it allows important information to be spread around.

While it cannot be denied that gossip can sometimes result in false information, in fact, the majority of gossip often turns out to be true. This is because someone said something in confidence to a friend, and then that friend has gone and told someone else. Because they have direct access to the source, the validity of the information cannot be questioned. Gossip will always be a part of human culture because we are fascinated with finding out stuff about another person and not knowing about it.

However, gossip is bad for society because it can destroy the confidence of the person who is gossiped about, can spread lies, and also result in the gossiper getting a bad name. Those in support of gossip would say that it helps everyone understand each other.