March 9, 2023
There could be a reason why characters like Regina George from the 2004 feature film “Mean Girls” (portrayed by Rachel McAdams) are put on a pedestal by their peers, reports the New York Post.
A study recently conducted at Oklahoma State University found that both women and men prefer when their friends are “vicious” toward their enemies.
The study, published in Elsevier’s Evolution and Human Behavior, explained that “the benefits of friendship depend, in part, on how much one’s friends value oneself relative to others; and thus that a friend’s behavior toward others can influence one’s own outcomes.”
The results suggested that—while people generally want friends to be kinder and more trustworthy—they sometimes prefer friends who are “more vicious,” or at the very least, indifferent toward their enemies.
This revealed that many people prefer friends who are kind to them and strangers—but that they’ll forgive unkind behaviors when the vitriol is directed at their adversaries.
People also cared a bit more about how nicely their friends treated them versus how they treated strangers.
The experts said this is because these people behave in ways that “maximize the friendship benefits” by both supporting their friends and undermining their rivals.”
Previous research has shown that “people believe they can be harmed when their enemies benefit—and benefit, when enemies are harmed.”
Researchers note that this aligns with why most people chose to have friends — for “preferential support.” ,Most people look for a ride or die who will choose them over others, help them knock their enemies down, and who will also uplift them.
Research contact: @nypost
