Bad news spreads like wildfire. Good old gossip. At a party, online, at dinner, a bit of bad news captivates our listeners.
Reading the Whimpy Kid to my children, there was a passage around how Greg always likes hearing about what went wrong with the vacations of his friends, rather than what went right. Gives him the satisfaction that it wasn’t him and confirmation that his choice of vacation was the right one.
Is that what’s at the heart of this? We get a boost from telling bad news to put ourselves in a better light? Does sharing good news elevate someone else and diminish your own limelight just a bit?
I’m certainly guilty of it as much as the next person. Still, being aware of what kind of information you decide to spread and why feels like an important one. We could all benefit from a bit more positive spin cycles.