Being an avid reader of the New York Times, I will confess that the Science Section is not one of my favorites. Generally, I skip over the section entirely, but not yesterday. Skimming the articles on the front page, I realized that I had sorely underestimated this section.

The main article in the section was about diabetes, but it was a side-story on gossip that caught my eye. My first thought was that I read the title wrong or that I was in the wrong section. But sure enough, it was a scientific look into the world of gossip.

As a writer, I firmly believe in the power of words. They are the tools that I work with to create my stories and present my ideas. It seems that I often overlook the power of spoken words. But more importantly, the power of gossip.

It’s ironic that we will go to great lengths to get our point across in a class presentation or a speech, but the words that resonate more with our friends tend to be gossip. Half the time we don’t even think about the fact that we are doing it.

According to “Facts Prove No Match for Gossip, It Seems” in the New York Times, gossip is no recent trend. Creating bonds among our ancestors, gossip helped people determined whom to trust in social situations. Gossip, it seems, is one of the fundamentals of spoken word.

A recent study done by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology and the University of Vienna found that gossip usually sways a person’s decision.

It should not come as a big shock that gossip is a powerful tool. We don’t even have to know someone personally to be interested in them. Celebrities often fall prey to this, with so many gossip blog sites.

But, it seems that it is often taken for granted. With simple words, we can influence how people view each other. That being said, it is important to think before you speak. If you are unsure of the validity of something, it is best to keep it to yourself. Trust me, karma is not always good.