Evolutionary psychologists argue that human language evolved primarily not to coordinate hunting or build tools, but to gossip about other members of our social group.

A closer look

Evolutionary psychologists argue that human language evolved primarily not to coordinate hunting or build tools, but to gossip about other members of our social group. British anthropologist Robin Dunbar proposed that gossip is the human equivalent of primate social grooming, allowing us to maintain relationships within communities of up to one hundred and fifty people. Sharing juicy rumors triggers a massive rush of endorphins, bonding individuals together through the mutual assassination of a third party's character. Therefore, when you are huddled in the office kitchen whispering about your manager's messy divorce, you are not being a toxic employee; you are proudly engaging in an ancient survival mechanism honed over millennia. Our big, highly evolved cerebral cortices exist mainly so we can aggressively judge our peers behind their backs while avoiding getting eaten by sabertooth tigers!