Gossiping about other People Boosts Self Esteem – New Study

Pope Francis recently warned gossip 'fills the heart with 

bitterness and also poisons us'

But according to a new study, gossiping may in fact be 
good for our self-esteem because it 

allows us to compare ourselves to others. 

A group of Dutch researchers have found out that hearing 
positive and negative gossip about

 another individual boosts self-reflection and self-evaluation.
 Elena Martinescu at the University of Groningen said: 

'Women who receive negative gossip experience higher 
self-protection concerns possibly
because they believe they might experience a similar f
ate as the person being the target of the gossip. Men who receive positive 
gossip experience higher fear, perhaps because
 upward social comparisons with competitors are threatening.
'Professor Martinescu added gossip 
provided individuals with indirect social comparison 

information and provides an essential resource to reflect on their 

behavior. She suggested that rather than trying to
 block out gossip, we should 'accept gossip as 

a natural part of our lives and receive it with a critical attitude 
regarding the consequences 

it may have on ourselves and on others.'