Tips for dealing with nosy friends

The term nosy friends' is a bit of a contradiction. True friends are not nosy; they are concerned and will do everything they can to help. They are always there for you, no matter what. Their shoulder is always available for you to cry on and they are always ready to listen to your troubles.

A nosy friend is not really a friend at all.

It is surprising the number of people who class themselves as friends, but when things get bad for you all they really want is the juicy gossip. The worst things about it is that most of these nosy friends only want the gossip so they can spread it to others, and give no second thought to you and your feelings.. They seem to delight in gossiping about the misfortunes of others. They are definitely not friends.

So how do you deal with these nosy, so-called, friends? When you are stressed or upset all you want to do is talk to someone and, unfortunately, the nosy friends are all too keen to listen. Be sure of who you can trust and who you can't. Your true friends will keep whatever you tell them to themselves. Your true friends will always be there for you, no matter what time of day or what they are doing. Know who your true friends are before confiding in whoever is prepared to listen.

You probably already know who the nosy people are. They are the people who stop you in the street to ask you if you are getting a divorce? They're the ones who hardly ever speak to you when meeting the kids at school, but then suddenly ask you if your husband has left you for good.

Don't give these people any satisfaction. Simply smile and say, sorry, I must dash.' They may make assumptions, but their gossip will not have the juicy facts that they were looking for.

If these nosy people continue to discuss and gossip about your personal business then perhaps having a word with them in private might help. Tell them you don't like being talked about and you would rather they didn't ask any more questions about your personal business. If they are really your friends they will respect your wishes, but if they continue to gossip then perhaps it would be wise to avoid these people in future.

No one likes being talked about or being asked questions about their personal lives, but unfortunately some people seem to need to live their lives by delighting in the misfortune of others.

The good thing is that the bad things that happen to you usually show you just who your real friends are. Treasure these friends and ignore the other so-called friends.

Learn more about this author, Sue Tobin.
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