Venting about your frustrations with one friend to another may feel good, but it doesn’t necessarily reduce anger. Experiments showed that people who listened to a friend vent liked and supported that person more than those who were vented about — but only if the person venting didn’t derogate or seem aggressive toward the other friend. Venting might be an effective tool of competition for listeners’ affections precisely because it is not readily recognized as a tool of competition.
