Gossip

[Piper]

In a small town in Norfolk, England, two neighbors were enjoying a savory conversation. Their talk centered around the young couple living on the opposite side of their street.

"I swear there's something wrong between them," said Mrs. Smith.

"You now I'd felt the same thing the other day when I saw the young man storm out angrily." Revealed Mrs. Stevenson.

"And just this morning I heard the young lady cry."

"Oh that wretch of a man!" snapped Mrs.Stevenson.

"You know Mrs.Stevenson, I think that husband of hers is…"

The spright conversation went on for a full hour.

* * *

A selection for the annual drama was made in Tom's College. Every year he got the plum part but this year Peter was selected for the lead role. Tom was disappointed and angry. On his way home from college he lashed out bitterly about his teacher's choice and Peter's incompetence for the role. His high voltage monologue didn't stop till he took the turning home.

* * *

In a small police department in North Dakota, one of the officer's was listening with interest to his colleague's account of their sgt's latest scandal:

"And then do you know what happened next?"

"No, tell me!"

"Well just between you and me, he…."

* * *

It topples governments, wrecks marriages, ruins careers, busts reputations, causes heartaches, nightmares, indigestion, spawns suspicion, generates grief, makes innocent people cry in their pillows. Even its name hisses. It's called gossip. Office gossip. Shop gossip. Party gossip. College gossip. It makes headlines and headaches.

Millions of people all over the world maim or murder the reputation and character of their neighbors, friends, relatives and superiors through the devilish habit of gossiping. Gossip accuses people. It charges others with wrong, labelling them with faults and follies. Gossip defames people and demolishes a person's reputation. Gossipers are like lynch mobs that charge, convict and condemn.

They reject authority, wreck unity and friendship and destroy peace of mind. And in all this they find pleasure that clamps them for hours.

In our world of fragile relationships gossiping has become a popular sport. You don't pay anything - all you need to spare is, TIME!; and you know how much you have when the subject is GOSSIP! It is said a man gets more taste out of gossip then he does from a sumptuous feast.

So my question is this...do YOU participate in gossip? Have you ever shared something someone implored to you not to share but you did it anyway? Or are you the type to keep it to yourself?

Come on, tell the Piper...

[shooter1201]

I'll never tellllllll......

[kateykakes]

People always fill me in on the gossip - I kid you not. I pretty much get the skinny on almost everyone and everything, not because I ask, but because people tell. For privacy reasons, I keep the info to myself. I know a lot of things about people at work, people I went to school with, my neighbors, and even people in this circle. Amazing, huh.

I did have a misunderstanding with someone some time ago and we really don't talk anymore. I apologized, and it was sincere, and I honestly wish things were different. He was a great person to talk with. And although it was a misunderstanding, I still think very highly of him.

[Piper]

I know what you mean Katey...I get the skinny on alotta stuff too. It's amazing what you know yanno?

When someone tells me something, it stays with me. I can't stand two faced people; at least they get caught more often than not.

[RachelR]

The gossip mill is alive and well at my company. I hear a lot of gossip but I've learned the hard way that it's better just to listen and then keep your mouth shut, lol.

[ateamer]

Gossip is critical to the function of law enforcement agencies. Otherwise, we'd never know what the administration is up to behind our backs. Rumor Control always knows what's going on long before admin posts memos and tells us.

[kirch]

Of course I do!

But now that you put it in such a negative light, I almost feel bad about it...nah, I guess I don't feel bad enough to stop

Here are Kirch's rules for gossip-mongering:
1. If you ask me to keep it quiet, I will. I won't betray a person's trust in me.
2. If you're going to be discussing the details of your exceptionally messy divorce on the phone in an open cubicle with me on the other side of the wall when you're only 10 feet away from a private office, then I consider the information to be public record. That means anything I hear is ripe for the gossip-mill.
3. I won't relay anything of a truly hurtful nature.
4. Keep the gossip group small, 3-4 people max. That way it's easy to keep everyone up-to-speed on current affairs . Also, make sure the members of your gossip group are well-distributed throughout the organization -- no sense hearing the same stuff you already know.

I suppose my time would be better spend developing a cure for cancer. But you gotta go with what you're good at.

[kateykakes]

Hmmmmmm...sounds like you like to stir that pot up a bit, huh, kirch?

[wonderwoman]

I have a different view I guess. I have seen peoples reputation suffer because someeone said something about someone that got passed on and distorted and names changed etceteras.

Reminds me of when I almost lost my best friend. However, revenge was sweet! A piece of gossip came to my attention that my best friend said something about me. I was heartbroken and the person that told me, I thought, was very honest. After stewing about it, I did the right thing by confronting my best friend and it turned out to be false. We then started a rumour that the other girl had herpes and she lost her date for the Sadie Hawkins. We corrected the rumour after and gave her another chance to try be a better friend.

Morale of the story... Don't **** with the big dogs if you are just a puppy! And if you going to ruin a reputation you better make sure you are prepared to "Pay the Piper" because it always leaks out!

Postive gossip is good. Infact we had a strategy for managing a negitive environment that included us making sure that we each started a positive rumour. What a difference it made.

Any gossip that can be used to hurt another person is garbage.

However, gossip is a fact of life and here to stay.

[MK219]

I like to be informed. I'm the type of person that needs to be filling his head with info and knowledge or I go crazy. As far as repeating things...If it needs to be said, thenI'll say it.If I know its B.S. or has the potential of B.S. thenI forget about it.
I will admit that I do use info sometimes to get an advantage in a situation. The best way to shut a fool up is to embaress his ***!