Tell Tale

There was some stuff that happened at the Mango Meadows, and all of us were talking about it. Of course, since I knew what happened I set them right. Feeling very self-righteous, after all I was speaking the truth. Yet if I was to be honest there was a sense of ‘I’m in the know’ and at the bottom line it was gossip. I have not yet had the integrity to apologize to the person.

However, it did make it reflective. Hence, I put it out on indispire.

In my own space this is what I found.

In a British dialect it meant Godparent!!, it could mean a companion or a crony. However, the default usage is a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others. Gossip is also rumour or report of an intimate nature. Gossip is a chatty talk. Gossip was also the centre or nevi of conversation or discussion

Merriam-Webster

… that covered a lot of space.

Hugh Prather in one of his poetries says when I gossip, I’m telling you that I am not like that. Well maybe- maybe not. But gossip does fertilize the mind with toxicity and judgement. As we gossip, there is a rush of adrenaline and spurt of energy that is happening. It gets fuelled reactions, the need to know more about the story so on and so forth.

What makes people gossip well:

• Probably venting – gives a space this idle talk is best done between friends, who are aware and are non-judgemental.
• Nothing happening in my life so I borrow from so I create and share another’s life with my judgements thrown in between.
• I know things that you don’t know that makes me significant. This is usually in a person who has very low self-esteem.
• I’m concerned these are people who talk about others under the pretext of being concerned or being a well wisher though in the essence the person is being manipulative and spiteful.
• Bitter vengeful gossip this gossip monger is not just seeking vindication, but is also vindictive.
• The final one is ‘I’m only telling the truth’

No matter what the motive is gossip at the end of the day is lack of love and respect for another human being. Gossips tears things down. It’s rather silly to assume that by pulling someone down, we can build ourselves up.

Its one of the saddest things that we can do, discuss another person with the third just for the sake of it. Its rather pathetic that one needs to tarnish the other’s reputation to make us feel good about ourselves. It is rather unfortunate thing we do to others, is to be unapologetically direct and not understand their side. It is worse when we drop those ‘little’ white lies to save the confrontations and emotional conversations.

Gossip is an idle talk that makes us look worse than the person we are talking about, and people tend to have more confidence in the person we spoke about when they are tired of our gossiping and complaining. If we have nothing kind to say about the other the best thing to do is not speak at all.

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