"Psst…did you hear what Karen did last weekend?!" your co-worker whispers to you with raised eyebrows.
We've all been there. Should we jump in on talking behind our friend's back or should we simply walk away? Well, new research suggests that gossiping is actually good for our health.
So before you feel bad about that lunchtime gossip frenzy, consider this—back before the 18th century, people used forms of gossip to figure out who they could and could not trust, which in turn led to small groups expanding into larger ones once a certain level of trust was established.
By talking behind people's backs, we gain a much better understanding of who we are surrounding ourselves with. According to Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology at Oxford University, this is the most vital form of communication that could help us live longer lives.
"Your social network has a huge effect on happiness and well-being," he said in a Telegraph article. "Gossiping is just chatting with people and keeping up to date with the social world in which you live. So gossip is what makes us human."
Does that necessarily mean you should talk smack about your boss or best friend with colleagues? Maybe not, but when it comes to people you're on the fence about, gossiping could help you gauge whether they're trustworthy or not. And hey, if dishing about a colleague extends our lifespan we can't feel too awful about that.