A Rant on Gossip

     Everyone gossips, it’s a fact of life. You get frustrated, you get overwhelmed. You need to vent. You simply need to get all of your pent up frustration out. But when the gossip turns malicious, that’s when we’ve got a problem.

    You see, confiding in your close friend, family member, etc. is normal. “Venting” to everyone you get the chance to speak with is not.

    Why do people feel the need to discuss things that do not pertain to them? Or affect their lives in any way? Are their lives really that boring that they just have to discuss the lives of others? If so, to those individuals, I recommend subscribing to a news outlet of some sort, or even better becoming acquainted with a hobby.

    Being a listening ear is completely acceptable, it’s human nature to have to talk out what’s been bothering you. It’s one of the characteristics of a good friend, to be able to lend a listening ear. Give advice when appropriate, and generally be someone your friend can vent to. But that’s where it stops. When your friend comes to you for support, because they’re so upset they just have to get it all out, that’s where it ends. It is not your right as the listening ear, to go and relay this bit of “juicy gossip” or “interesting news” to another friend, who will in turn relay it to another, until the entire East Coast is aware of what has occurred.

    It is your job as a listening ear to LISTEN, and not in turn SPEAK to someone about the subject other than your venting friend.

    The sad thing is, this type of issue should have ended in high school, where petty gossip and idle talk was a dime a dozen. But when this issue continues on into University, and afterwards, well Houston, we have a problem.

    It’s these same people who repeat information, and go onto embellish it who are so often complaining about drama, and “bad friends”. It’s these same people who are evidently so bored with their lives that they can think of nothing better to do than spread negative information, and subsequent bad energy into the universe. These are the people who fill their days with bad habits, just to get by. Who love themselves as much as they hate themselves.

    I’m no Mother Theresa, but I live by the general rule “Do unto others, as you would have them do to you”. This means that if I do not want others gossiping about me, I will not gossip about others. I will not repeat information just because it’s interesting, or will spur conversation. If I have nothing to talk about other than other peoples lives then there’s something wrong. I would like to think that I’m educated enough, and decent enough to discuss other matters.

    I can’t change these people, all I can do is pray for them, and send positive thoughts their way. I sincerely hope the best for all of the individuals whose lives are seemingly so empty and boring, that they are led to such empty discussions. I feel sorry for whoever raised them, and I feel even more sorry for the children they will raise.

Rant, done.