Why Do People Gossip?

[Ari]

Don't you think it's crazy that some people spend so much of their lives talking about everyone else's business?  I'm not just talking about so called celebrities like Britney Spears, but your own friends and family.  Everyone seems to revel in their own individual soap operas.  I'm not saying I'm completely immune to this.  I'm sure everyone has done it at some point.  Still, I find it an annoying and disgusting behavior.  Perhaps it is an inherent part of human nature to some degree and can't be avoided though.  Thoughts?

[Daniel]

This is an excellent question. A big reason why I think people gossip so much is because of a concept I saw mentioned on an episode of Boston Legal called "Schadenfreude" which means "pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune." The closest English translation of this concept is "epicaricacy." It seems to be a human inclination of many people to secretly get pleasure out of watching and gossiping about other people's misfortune. Most people wouldn't admit to this openly to other people or even themselves. So many people may complain about all the coverage that Britney Spears gets or about Jerry Springer. Yet Britney Spears stories still make the top "news" stories and Jerry Springer still makes top ratings. I believe that Schadenfreude is one of the main reasons behind it.

[Kiwi]

Culture and history, way before telephones, radio, tv, newspapers and even the Internet, only way to get information for point a to point b was word of mouth. No matter how much we become civilized we still retain the need for personal interaction.

Being life form that values communication, the gossiping is just one form. Where done opening or in private, it is who we are, as the human race.

Its something that will always be. IMHO

[Boeregeneraal]

I can't stand gossip!!!
I get soo angry seeing all these gossip magazines...and the gossip tv shows are starting to flood the tv shows! grrrrrrrrr!!!

I call for a Righteous Government...where this filth is banned!

I also believe this is Lashon HaRa?

[Trumpeldor]

To make sense of the world.

[Dr. Dan]

Gossip?

it's complicated because he can do much harm.

but it can do much greatness..but usually it does more harm.

Bottom line is, we shoudl watch what we say and limit our speech.

we need to understand the Halakha of what is lashon Hara and what isn't and practice it daily.

why do we gossip? because this is the natural course of human interaction.  but because we have souls, doing this natural action which feels good, like random sex might feel good, is somethign we shoudl learn to control.

To ban it, however, is a ridiculous notion...you can't ban things like that...and everyone will laugh at you for even suggesting such an insane thing!

[Kiwi]

I can't stand gossip!!!
I get soo angry seeing all these gossip magazines...and the gossip tv shows are starting to flood the tv shows! grrrrrrrrr!!!

I call for a Righteous Government...where this filth is banned!

I also believe this is Lashon HaRa?

get Foxtel 

[Boeregeneraal]

I can't stand gossip!!!
I get soo angry seeing all these gossip magazines...and the gossip tv shows are starting to flood the tv shows! grrrrrrrrr!!!

I call for a Righteous Government...where this filth is banned!

I also believe this is Lashon HaRa?

get Foxtel 

Id love to, all those doco's...but the family is underpaid

[Kiwi]

I can't stand gossip!!!
I get soo angry seeing all these gossip magazines...and the gossip tv shows are starting to flood the tv shows! grrrrrrrrr!!!

I call for a Righteous Government...where this filth is banned!

I also believe this is Lashon HaRa?

get Foxtel 

Id love to, all those doco's...but the family is underpaid

Yeah true, I have the highest package at $105 a month does get dear after a while.