Some places are so full of certain types of stress that they drive people to express their frustration by talking about other people. Perhaps it is just a factor of "civilized" life where we are supposed to show others our best face and end up holding in our frustrations. I have a friend who doesn't hold back. People often behave badly because people let them get away with it, except for my friend. I have seen badly behaving people stop acting badly when around her. Perhaps the world would be a better place if there were less of us enablers to the bad habits of others. On the other hand, sometimes the real source of the frustration is not the other people. On that other hand, people don't give other people the benefit of doubt or try to see things from their perspective or from the stand point of standing in the other person's shoes. Sometimes the things said about others is ultimately a silly criticism. Sometimes it is simply spoken from ignorance of what challenges and frustrations the other person faces. More often than not; the other person is just a scapegoat for the real source of trouble (a source which is beyond their ability to fix-or at least that is how they feel). In short, both sides are to blame. And, being only human myself, I am guilty of both sides.