I found the answer in this scientific study by Diana I. Tamir and Jason P. Mitchell that uses research to show why sharing personal information feels good. The study was published in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” (PNAS), which is a well-respected scientific journal.
Ok… don’t over complicate it. What does it say?
The study shows that humans are wired to enjoy sharing personal information about themselves with others, which helps us connect with friends, family, and others. Researchers found that 30–40% of daily conversations and over 80% of social media posts focus on personal experiences. They used brain scans and discovered that sharing personal thoughts activates the same part of the brain that responds to rewards like food, money, or social approval.
The study also revealed that people are willing to give up money just to talk about themselves… and I’m writing this for free.
Resuming… sharing makes us happier
In my personal interpretation, this explains why word of mouth, blogging, social gatherings, photography, therapy, and especially meeting new, interesting people work the way they do. When we write, we often share personal stories because it feels rewarding… , and readers connect with these real experiences, … making us both the writer and you the reader feel part of the same story. In therapy, talking about our thoughts and feelings helps us feel better because sharing is literally rewarding. And when we hang out with friends, we naturally talk about ourselves—it’s more fun and satisfying than just chatting about facts!
What we talk about also affects how others perceive us… and this is personal marketing. Not surprisingly, we prefer sharing things that make us appear entertaining, clever, and trendy!