Gossip ruined more than one life. People who love to slander are despised and shunned. Most of us are uncomfortable with such conversations, but why do we participate in them? And most importantly: how to make a gossiper bite his tongue?
Let’s talk about gossip. Do you know at least one? Perhaps you have an envious friend who loves to wash the bones of acquaintances, or an overly curious colleague. what about you? In any case, whether you tend to talk about others and someone else’s personal life or not, gossip is meaningless and hypocritical.
The habit of whispering behind someone’s back and spreading rumors does not lead to anything good and can harm not only those who are being discussed, but also the gossipers themselves. “Unfounded rumors harm not only the object of slander. The one who spreads them is perceived as ill-mannered and limited person, ”says Sharon Schweitzer, head of the Access To Culture project.
Social psychologist Laurent Begut adds: “Furthermore, about 60% of all conversations between adults are about absentees. And basically everything is based on idle fictions.
Why do we gossip?
TV is to blame. Remember the useless reality shows that we watch almost every day, especially their content. Serial sagas like “Keeping up with the Kardashians” or “The Bachelorette” fuel interest in someone else’s life.
There is another reason why we indulge in such dubious pleasure, although the inner voice screams that it is dishonorable. Gossip contributes to the establishment of social bonds: dislike unites better than sympathy.
When we succumb to the temptation to gossip about others behind our backs, we are no different from cynics and vulgarities. After all, we let the interlocutor understand that we are not averse to delving into dirty laundry, we can be trusted. Then the person relaxes, loosens his tongue and shares all the secrets, including the juicy details of someone else’s personal life.
The saddest thing is that people who constantly gossip are almost never tormented by guilt and remorse for someone’s ruined reputation. On the contrary, they are proud of awareness, they are flattered by the general attention. Most often, these people enjoy other people’s mistakes and misfortunes, experiencing vengeful joy.
How to silence gossips?
If you agree that gossip is poison for the brain, and do not want to participate in it, you will need useful advice. In such cases, the phrase works best: “Why are you telling me about this?” An acquaintance who is trying to impose such a conversation will understand that you are not interested. A direct question will discourage any gossip, but he will remember that you do not intend to listen to nasty things about people.
Source: thepowerofsilence.co