by Newworld E. E

Created on: January 19, 2011

Gossip can fill your life with more intrigue than an act of illusion.

She was pregnant. She had an abortion, and she does drugs, could be that baseless gossip, and one that you could help choir by telling it to someone else. Be it school, workplace, anywhere, gossip is damaging. But is gossip always bad?

  Gossip can be identified as idle or casual talk which is basically not a crime because gossip in term of evolutionary psychology  is an important means by which people can monitor cooperative reputation  and so maintain widespread indirect reciprocity; the bases of the saying: any criticism is good publicity. And in addition, gossip has also been identified as a means of bonding in large groups. Still, this doesn’t mean we should become busy-bodies in matters that don’t concern us. But just showing genuine interest in others like who needs assistance? Who is having a party? Who had the best grade last semester? Are examples of genuine interest or concerns that can be asked during a casual talk. Besides you can’t throw a surprise party or fund raiser for a friend without first talking it out with other friends, can you?

  Still casual talk can easily turn into harmful gossip because a simple saying like “Jen and Jess organized a fish and hook party” can be repeated as “Jen and Jess organized a fish party and hooked up- they are lesbians.” And imagine what will happen when that baseless gossip reaches Jen and Jess. Damaging, and probably a total end to a friendship. The point is that gossip has a far reaching negative effect than can be measured and a possibility of this chain reaction in Jen or Jess’ case:

Gossip – bullying– suicide.

  But the problem is most people who have been subject to a gossip have also engaged in making and heralding one. Why? It’s fun; it’s an escape; it’s so tempting; are some of the excuses for such an act; and let the one without sin cast the first stone. We can all be guilty, directly or indirectly. The question now becomes what to do when a casual talk is taking a turn to a harmful gossip?

How to Guard Your Tongue from Gossiping

  It is not unusual for a genuine casual talk to end up as a gossip. The key is steering your conversation wisely and carefully. As described by the Awake! Magazine, a conversation requires the skills to drive on a busy highway; a situation may arise where you have to “change lanes,”

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