We waste so much energy spreading false rumors about others – without validating the facts.
Some of us have a terrible habit of gossiping, and seek to either find it from others or create our own time to deposit false words about others in the “Gossip Bank.” We just can’t stop the negative babbling about others.
We love complaining about others to others. We love talking about the way people look to others. We love talking about the way people act to others. We love poking fun at the imperfections of others to others – and we do this without context or reason.
It doesn’t matter if it is family, friends, co-workers or strangers – nothing will stop us from seeking and spreading gossip. One key driver for spreading gossip is that we are bored and want to confirm that others are less perfect than ourselves and want to obtain validation about other people, from people in our life circle.
Yet, what is it that we contribute from gossip? Do we actually gain anything? Are we really spreading anything of value to others?
The bottom line is that we actually do more harm than good to ourselves by gossiping. The underlying reason behind this creation of self-pain is that there is nothing of value created for ourselves. It’s a complete waste of time and energy.
Instead of investing time creating good or seeking the good in others and ourselves – where we need to invest more of our time – we are instead finding faults about others and communicating this to others – without reason.
Can we just stop this? Is it humanely possible not to gossip? How do we go about creating more meaningful gestures about others? Try these ideas:
- Reduce any urge to think negative about others. This single act can bring you more happiness than ever. Look for the good in all beings.
- Seek the truth from the individual source. Instead of spreading a rumor, find out the truth from the individual you are gossiping about.
- Don’t act to hurt the image of anyone. This is acting in a mirror – it’s your image that will get hurt in the long run.
- Don’t consume gossip from anyone. Ignore anyone who talks negative about someone without talking to the source yourself. Put any rumors anyone brings to you about others aside.
- Don’t use the imperfections of others as the platform to raise your ego. Spreading gossip as the means to push others down is not the way to your success. True success is achieved in collaboration with working with others by working with their strengths, not creating weaknesses.