Gossip: Malicious Slander or Helpful Information

"Never tell evil of a man if you do not know for a certainty, and if you know it for a certainty then ask yourself , "Why should I tell it?"
Johann Lavater (1741-1801) Swiss Poet and Physiognomist

"...Why should I tell it?". A great question that should be asked by anyone that feels the need to gossip. Gossip can be defined as idle talk or writing about another person or situation, regardless of fact. It can also be defined as, malicious or slanderous talk or writing about another person or situation with the desire or intention to hurt them.

It can also be defined as talk or writing about another person or situation in order to turn another's opinion against that person or situation. Gossip can be truth or falsehood, but it is still gossip. Tale bearing, can be defined as a negative story, a false report, or gossip. It can be defined as one who spitefully informs against another.

What benefit will it be for you if you think that you have information to spread about someone else? Gossip does not score you brownie points. You are not doing anything for the good of your neighbors if you are spreading gossip. There's a fine line, a very fine line to be walked when you think that you may have a piece of information about something or a situation. Is it information or just gossip?

If you know something, a couple of things that you should ask yourself, besides the very sage advise above is, "Does the thing that I know cause me any harm?" "Could what I know, cause any harm to my surrounding environment, community, family or friends?" "Could what I know, if used in a constructive manner, benefit myself for the good?"

A more personal and to the point question to ask yourself would be, "If what I know may not be correct, am I willing to suffer the consequences of misinformation?" Simply put, take responsibilities for your lies.

Gossip or misinformation turns into a heavy load for the gossip teller. The misinformation could turn into lies that are being carried. Lies comes with consequences. There are those gossip mongers that really don't care about their consequences or their reputations. Most of those kind of people lack self-esteem or are just so bored with themselves that stirring up trouble around them seems to be their only alternative for their own person form of entertainment.

Here are some suggestions to help you decide if whether or not you have information that can be taken to the correct people or authorities.

1. Do you have solid proof of what you know? Solid proof being something that you can produce in black and white.
2. Is it something that you have heard from someone else? Where are you in the chain of information? Is it second-hand or third-hand information? If you haven't heard it first-hand, then how willing are you to trace it back to where it came from?
3. If you were asked where you got your information, would you be willing to disclose your source? If you disclosed your source, would it be without any promises that you wouldn't suffer from any consequences of passing on the information? Do you stand behind your information?
   
4. If you found out that the information was incorrect that you passed on, would you be willing to own up to it?
   

There are many people that realize what gossip is; just gossip or lies to begin with. Those people know just what to do with gossip and that is to let it go in one ear and out the other. I bet they are big consumers of Q-tips. They like to keep their ears clean.