People generally perceive eavesdropping as an intrusion of one’s privacy. It’s something you’ll likely never teach a young child to do at a tender age. However, experts see some benefits to it. 

According to psychology professor and TedX speaker Dr. Allison Jane Martingano, eavesdroppers are excellent listeners who can identify emotions just by looking at a person’s eyes.

Dr. Martingano spoke about the Theory of Mind (TOM), which refers to our ability to understand the desires, beliefs, and emotions of others. An experiment she conducted revealed that eavesdroppers may develop better TOM skills because of their innate ability to identify emotions. 

Eavesdropping appears to be a natural human trait. In 2007, researchers from the University of Washington discovered that 18-month-old babies engage in “emotional eavesdropping.” 

As their brains develop, toddlers learn to listen to and observe emotional reactions from adults. The emotional information they’ve collected shapes their behavior and personality.

Of course, eavesdropping can be used for ill intentions, such as hacking or illegal wiretapping. But does it carry negative consequences? Language science professor John Locke says no. 

As he explained in an interview with Quartz, people learn social cues by observing public behavior, even if they accidentally listen to other people’s conversations.

We’d also like to hear from you, readers. Have you ever found yourself in Los Angeles overhearing a juicy conversation between people (or with themselves)? Share them in the comments!