London - Do you ever find yourself retelling someone else’s amusing anecdote? Well don’t worry, it turns out you are not alone.
A study has revealed that almost half of us have tried to pass off a good story as our own. And 53 percent of us have heard somebody retelling one of our anecdotes.
Scientists from Southern Methodist University in Texas asked 447 people to take a survey about their storytelling habits.
The researchers described stealing stories as “memory borrowing”, and said it could lead to the creation of “false memories”.
They found 46 percent had heard a story and later passed it off as their own. And 32 percent had spiced up anecdotes with details stolen from someone else.
Lead researcher Professor Alan Brown said: “This appears to be motivated by a desire to incorporate others’ experiences into our own autobiographical record.
“Other reasons include to create a more engaging exchange, convey somebody else’s interesting experience or make oneself look good.” He added: “A substantial percentage expressed uncertainty as to whether an experience actually belonged to them or to someone else.”
Daily Mail