Evolution of a Rumor

Information, statements, and briefly uttered phrases are the very early stages of rumors and the heart of their beginning. Rumors themselves are just another form of communication passed on from one source to another, slowly weaving into the fabric of society until they have become complex creations, which are given life by the continuation of human emotion. Rumors, from the beginning of their existence, thrive upon the hopes, fears, and desires of mankind as they make sense of a difficult and confusing world.

To study the reasons why rumors spread so well, you begin first with the anatomy of a rumor. Rumors themselves are often merely pieces of information. Nicholas DiFonzo in his paper on, “How Rumors Help Us Make Sense Of An Uncertain World”, states that “rumors are unverified information statements that circulate about topics that people perceive as important (DiFonzo 375).” At the heart, a rumor is simply a passing phrase or comment formed by thought and introduced through communication from one person to another. These pieces of information are considered important enough to those who hear them to pass them along. Cass Sunstein, points out in his paper, “Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization,” most rumors involve topics on which people lack direct personal knowledge, and so most of us defer to the crowd (Sunstein 389).” Rumors do grow. They spread from person to person, feeding off of human emotion, helping them to continue to develop and spread.

Human beings are often driven by their passions and emotions even more than their need for physical survival. A person can be eating well, exercising every day to stay fit, but still be in need of something. They desire peace, knowledge, or some type of gratification to put the heart to ease. Rumors feed off of the desire people have to understand the environment in which they are living.  In a way, rumors can thrive, depending upon the strength of that desire. “Rumors express and gratify the emotional needs of the community in much the same way as day dreams and fantasy fulfill the needs of the individual (Knapp 360).” Rumors can slowly evolve or change as they are passed along from person to person. The evolution is each individual’s adaptation to the rumor based on his or her environment. Such changes can involve intense events, or the amplification of current opinions and ideas.

Every day in our media there is a new event, whether it is a tragedy or new a scandal involving high-level celebrities or authorities. Rumors are especially prevalent around the times of war and conflict. They can utilized by the government to help deflect attention from what is really happening or what they would rather the public not pay attention to at all. Rumors can be used to encourage people to deal positively in potentially threatening situations (DiFonzo 378). Such types of communication are also known as a “pipe-dream” or “wish rumor,” and quench the human need to feel at peace or to overcome stress in the midst of difficulty (Knapp 361).

Conversations from one person to another perpetuate the rumor simply and informally but the information often changes as it continues on through various social circles. Rumors, especially negative statements, have the potential to impact the central core of a person, thereby, giving rise to false ideas and theories, which, help to create negative thoughts and aid destructive emotional desires. The rumors themselves will adapt and change, as needed, depending on those who hear and further transmit the information. With each new set of ears comes a new set of perceptions, which, in turn impact how the rumor continues.

Another type of rumor that can elicit a powerful human emotion is the wedge driver. These are rumors are formed from the conflict between multiple sources and the tension among groups, especially peer groups. Wedge driving rumors do just what their name suggests, they put pressure between two groups by spreading negative information. “These rumors serve a purpose—to justify negative prejudice toward the rival group (DiFonzo 382). Another expert defines this form of rumor in the following statement, “so termed because of its effect in dividing groups and destroying loyalties; its essential motivation is aggression or hatred (Knapp 361).” Human emotion can be the main driver of wedge rumors because this type of rumor plays on anger, fear, and the anxiety people have toward other groups of people. These anxieties are typically rooted in groups and social circles rather than individuals. However, the rumor can target specific people in groups as a way to attempt to sway public opinion.

Once a rumor is in full swing and is growing among the masses it thrives based on the continuation of its initial statement. A rumor is usually something simple and precise. Often there are pieces of a rumor which remain unstable and are subject to change. “There are abundant examples of rumors circulating in different totalitarian nations, all of identical plot, yet each employing the names and places familiar to the local populations (Knapp 362).” Such rumors have adapted to the environments culture and social climate. Numbers change, names alter, and rumors continue to take on characteristics necessary for survival.

Rumors require people in order to exist; and people in large groups only further aid their growth. Stemming off the desire for people to make sense of life, rumors are often found in the mist of the questions and ponderings regarding circumstances and life events. “The successful rumor, to thrive, must adapt itself to the immediate as well as to the traditional circumstances of the group; it must ride the tide of current swings in public opinion and interest (Knapp 360).” Conversations taking place in social networking have grown a great deal more since the creation of internet discussion groups. These groups are comprised of any number of individuals seeking to make sense of the world around them. As more information is sought, discussions continue to grow. “Despite the apparent chaos and confusion, these discussions are colorful and purposeful interchanges that—collectively—proceed in s fairly predictable fashion around the central task of sense making (DiFonzo 386). Rumors themselves are popular because they feed off of the interest of larger groups.  People who have a common belief often share rumors. This form of social networking or persuasion is what one author calls a conformity cascade.  “In a conformity cascade, people go along with the group in order to maintain the good opinion of others—no matter their private views or doubts (Sunstein 393). The passing of the information amongst the groups of people in large masses is what changes and enhances a rumor while the emotional desires of each individual is what allows it to survive.

Every day there is a new event or tragedy worth discussing or talking about. With each new event mixed with the human need for understanding and truth seeking, a rumor is formed. The rumor begins as a simple statement and idea passed along from one person to another. Growing off of the desire to make sense of things, the rumor continues forward gathering momentum. As it grows and spreads it becomes virtually impossible to ascertain the original source or the original information. The rumor has adapted to its new environment so well that those who are passing it along do so without question of its intent or original purpose. Rumors can provide the glimmer of truth or at least the hint of hope or the answer to the questions every individual has about their own lives. With these rumors life continues on and people converse and attempt to make sense of the world in which they live. 

Works Cited

DiFonzo, Nicholas. “How Rumors Help Us Make Sense Of An Uncertain World.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 375-87. Print.

Knapp, Robert H. “A Psychology of Rumor.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 360-63. Print.

Sunstein, Cass R. “Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 388-96. Print.