Everyday Canvas

On Gossip

Prompt: Gossip
How do you handle a person who starts telling you gossips about people you love or even people you don't know? Do you listen with interest or with boredom or do you make the gossiping person stop in some way?

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Some psychologists say that gossip, as it can be positive or neutral, is not necessarily negative. Maybe so, but isn't it boring, in the long run?

Imagine a person who knows nothing but to talk about others and to gossip! How long would anyone stand listening to that person!

Speaking for myself, I don't mind a bit of positive gossip if it informs me about people I know or situations that are important to me. Gossip, however, can take a nasty turn, sometimes, by putting other people down when those people are not present to defend themselves against cutting remarks. This is not acceptable to me whether what is said is true or false.

Although some gossip can be insightful, it's still gossip even when it is about celebrities' spicy scandals. Plus, no one learns anything from evil-minded gossip even if it may help the gossiper's mood. I think, people who constantly gossip about others in a negative way may have issues inside themselves they need to solve.

Still, I don't have to listen to that kind of talk, so I try to change the subject if the gossip's negativity gets out of hand. Better yet, I usually avoid talking to people who have nothing nice to say about others.




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