Fact check: smart people gossip more

Whether you occasionally pass on something about someone else or really come up with elaborate mean stories, everyone is guilty of gossiping at some point. Of course, you shouldn't go too far, and especially the conscious blackening of people by making up stories is really a no-go. But just a little chit-chat that happens to be about someone else rather than yourself is even a bit healthy for you, and socially speaking, it really has a beneficial function.

If you're smart, you gossip more

Unfortunately, the claim that smart people gossip more is actually just a bit of gossip itself. There is no scientific evidence that this is the case. What has been researched are the social benefits that gossiping brings. For example, it helps strengthen bonds and can contribute to better collaboration within teams. By sharing the information you have about others, you learn to function better in a group dynamic. So it would be smart to gossip a bit more often, but it's not the case that smart people gossip more.

It is necessary for your social development

How much someone gossips and the way someone gossips are determined by things like their personality and the cultural norms that apply to them. In some friend groups, gossiping in a very mean way about each other is perfectly normal, while at home with your parents you may have learned never to speak badly about someone else, for example. And despite the fact that it has some advantages, it is impossible to conclude from this that you are really smarter if you gossip more. Additionally, I would especially advise to gossip a bit less in the new year: what goes around, comes around. You would rather send love into the world than spread negative energy.

Source: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam