YAY! Experts have confirmed that bitching is actually GOOD for you
Ever get the itch to bitch but think it’s better to hold that frustration inside?
Well, according to the experts, from now on it might be better for your health and your friendships to share those not so nice thoughts with others.
According to Marie Claire, social psychologists have discovered that having a good rant can be therapeutic and is essential when it comes to bonding with friends.
Dr Jenny Cole told the mag: “When we talk about someone behind their back, an emotional bond develops with the person we’re speaking to.”
“And that bond is stronger when the information is negative…Because it’s riskier to share a negative view, so the trust between you and that person becomes greater.”
As it turns out, bitching is not a new social phenomenon by any means and actually goes way back to when we first evolved from primates and learned to speak.
Dr Cole believes gossiping replaced grooming (a means by which apes bond) as a key form of social interaction – so the next time you catch yourself having a little rant, you could say it's a natural thing?
But before anyone takes the news to the extreme and goes on a total bitching spree altogether, it might be worth noting that, like anything, when taken too far gossiping can be damaging.
Oxford Professor Robin Dunbar warns: “Carried to extremes, [bitching] can of course be harmful.”
“But I think its primary function is to maintain the stability of the little community you belong to by establishing a collective view.”
“If so-and-so is behaving in a way you think is wrong, you hope eventually they’ll get to hear of it through the group.”
Sounds like it's time to get the girls over for a little chat!
