Life can be extremely boring sans silly jokes, meaningless chatter, and juicy conversations. Why is it necessary that we talk about serious stuff all the time? I prefer to not bring in gossip into this spectrum. It is something that we teach our children to avoid, so it is good to practice what we have preached. What about eavesdropping? Have you never, ever indulged in this act, or are you guilty as charged? Remember: you are human, and you have not committed a crime. It is a natural reaction sometimes to intentionally or unintentionally give a listening ear to a conversation that you are not a part of.
When an eavesdropper came to my aid
It was the night before a potluck dinner, and I was not able to find a particular type of cheese for a dish that I was preparing. I was looking around frantically for what I needed, and I had failed to get it even at the third store that I had stepped into. I called up a friend to complain about it. A few minutes later, a lady apologetically walked up to me and said, “I am sorry, but I happened to overhear that you are looking for some variety of cheese. Why don’t you try the supermarket adjacent to the bakery, about half a mile from here? Their dairy section is stocked up really well!”
I thanked her profusely, and she was right! I found the stuff I needed at the store that she mentioned. Now how could I be angry with this stranger for eavesdropping on me and helping me out?
Free entertainment during a prolonged wait
I was in transit for close to five hours on my way from India. Traveling alone and tired after an already long flight, there was very little that I could do in the airport before I caught my next plane back home.
Thanks to the trio sitting behind me in the waiting lounge, my boredom was beaten to a considerable extent. From family politics and films to traveling and beauty tips, they discussed everything under the sun. Their conversation was pepped up with all the sugar, salt, and spice to keep me awake during a monotonous wait. Among all the tidbits, I gathered some important information: that a paste of black gram dal makes the skin look soft and supple, that onion can be substituted with celery for some dishes, and that a soaking wet smartphone can be rescued by being kept in a bag of rice!
Should I have not eavesdropped? Now if someone talks at the top of their voices and I have no earplugs on, do I have a choice? I hope my excuse here is valid!
Agree or disagree, research studies can be mind boggling!
You must be acquainted with the theory of mind in psychology. It refers to one’s acumen in understanding other people by ascribing mental states to them. A theory of mind is based on the premise that your beliefs, emotions, thoughts, and desires may not conform to those of others.
You may be blown out of your head to learn what research has shown. It turns out that eavesdropping may improve the theory of mind skills which are important for social interaction. An experiment conducted in New York came up with surprising results when eavesdroppers outperformed conversational participants when it came to understanding and empathizing with human behaviors.
Let me put a disclaimer!
Random thoughts swirling in my mind planted the idea of coming up with this piece. But in no way am I rallying for eavesdropping. It is an extremely annoying habit, and it is not acceptable when someone secretly listening to you uses that information to his or her advantage.
Addressing reality, I can confidently say that most of us have had an experience in which we have listened to a conversation nearby. Maybe I can rephrase it and speak in your defense to make you feel better. You are so acoustically sensitive that in spite of not wanting to hear, the words reached your ears.
The point is that you should not be nosy. Don’t make it a habit to go out of your way to find out what others are saying. As long as you do not stir the hornet’s nest after unintentionally hearing a conversation, you are excused!
rashmi writes 