Other common causes of gossip are envy and a desire to feel superior.When you spread rumors about someone,it reduces that person's status in other people's eyes.Judging other people negatively can make insecure people feel better about themselves, at least temporarily. Jen Lyle recalls having been guilty of this herself:"when I had been at my first job for about a year, I was hoping for a promotion. Instead,they hired a new woman for the job that I had wanted. About six months later,a friend who worked in human resources told me that the woman had been given a really bad performance review. My friend said that if the woman's performance didn't improve, she would be in danger of being fired. I knew that this was confidential information, but each time I was having a conversation with someone in the office, I somehow found my self gossiping about it. Gossiping also made Jen feel powerful, important, and like the center of attention-at least for the few minutes it took to divulge the gossip. However,Jen adds, "The woman's performance improved,and she's very good at her job now. Alos,I've gotten to know her,and she's really a nice person. Now I'm always worried someone will tell her that her that I used to gossip about her!