The data say that venting yes makes social bonds stronger, but also both parties much more unhappy & amplifies negative emotions. Basically counterproductive. Ethan Kross on Huberman Lab podcast:

@ethan_kross Stop hanging with negative people. You don’t need a lot of friends. You need good friends.

@ethan_kross Intriguing perspective! Venting strengthens bonds but amplifies negativity. Counterintuitive?

@ethan_kross I think a lot of people assume that it relieves some of the negativity, but apparently the opposite

@ethan_kross It’s the negative feedback loop. Try the same, but with love and aspiration to amplify positive emotions 😇❤️‍🔥🙌 GREAT podcast!

@ethan_kross I've experienced this phenomenon. I think venting in small doses is alright but it's so tempting to over-indulge

@ethan_kross Reinforces the concept of strengthening and maintaining social connections so we can have higher quality lives helping us live longer

@ethan_kross I’m so much more aware of people who talk about their problems now. We all have mishaps in our day, but reliving the moment only seems to perpetuate the emotions tied to the experience. I try to avoid people who make problems bigger than they need to be.

@ethan_kross Love this

@ethan_kross Venting is one of the things that feels very adaptive - but it is actually not. I think the reason it feels so adaptive is that, being able to vent to someone makes them appear more like an in-group momentarily - even though they might not be.

@ethan_kross Venting.