Gossip

‘He who gossips with you, will gossip of you.’
~Irish Sayings

I was in a conversation the other day when person A started to attack another individual, Person C (who was not present). In the midst of doing so, a second individual, person B, quickly said a few comments to soften the blow which person A had attacked.

I found this interesting on several fronts. Person A thought I would agree with them, so they didn’t feel threatened by my seeing how they felt about person C.
Meanwhile, Person B knew what Person A was saying, and did not agree that I would agree with the thought of Person A.

But here is what catches me.

If person A really thinks that I would be agreeable to hearsay or gossip, I feel I have done something wrong. Something in my character is off.

Gossip, on every level, is downright maddening to me (though not suggesting that I am perfect in this thing). Suffice it to say that any gossip between individuals does nothing more than to break down unity, debilitate individual growth, and squelch relationships at all levels.

I trust less the individual doing the talking. Why would I share information to you if you are going to freely share that with others? You won’t, oh, you just did about somebody else, why not with the information I give you?

How about the relationship between Person A and Person C? Built up or hewn down? Or between me and Person C? Try not as I might, human I am, I might look at Person C differently. And that is what frustrates me the most.

Experience has taught me that each of us has our demons. Sometimes we categorize them in different levels of badness, perhaps to make us feel like our demons or evils aren’t so evil. And in minimizing our evils, we make no improvement to our life.

But if experience has taught me that we all have our demons, it has also taught that most have a much, much, better side. A side full of hopes, dreams, accomplishments, abilities, and a thorough appetite for goodness. Very few people are just bad apples. Very few.

So why gossip? Why breakdown society wielding faux informational power than humbly strengthening all by allowing gossip to cease with you?

A question without answer. Because each answer I come up with just sounds silly.

Just as silly as I would sound if I ever were to gossip. To which I hope I never do.

‘If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y and Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut.’
~Albert Einstein