Male inattentiveness isn’t the only reason women tend to talk more than men. It’s because women crave more serotonin and oxytocin, feel-good brain chemicals that surge when we communicate with other people. This means gossiping can actually be good for your body (assuming you’re not the one everyone’s clucking on about), and the rumor mill has a real biological purpose. It also explains why women speak about 20,000 words during an average day, while men mutter about 7,000 tops. Here’s lookin’ at you, Gossip Girl.
MORE: Show, Not Tell: How We Say ‘I Like You’
