Gossip might be fun for the people doing it, but it can hurt people, destroy reputations, and create unnecessary drama. It can also be good, believe it or not. Find out the benefits and pitfalls of gossip, and how to use it for good things.
Have you heard the latest dirt on gossip? It hurts people in ways nothing else can, but sometimes, it’s the best thing for them. How can that be? It all depends on what is said, who is saying it, and the spirit they are saying it in. Join Mysticsense to find out all about gossip. Find out what it is and why we do it. Find out the surprising psychological benefits of gossiping and then both the ugly effects gossip can have as well as the benefits of it. Next time you find out people are gossiping about you, don’t feel bad. It might be the best thing that ever happened to you, but if it isn’t, we will tell you how to handle it. Read on to find out!
What is Gossip?
Gossip is sharing rumors about a person or a situation, even if you don't know whether it's true or not. Gossip has a way of being spread. Oftentimes, it is immediately repeated by the people who hear it, and it travels fast. Typically it's spread while the person who's being talked about is not present. Typically the people spreading this gossip don't want the person being gossiped about to know about it. It can include discussing intimate details of other people's lives, and sometimes people wouldn't want those details shared about them.
Gossip can happen anywhere. It can happen in the workplace to pass the time. It can happen within families to a family member who has fallen from grace. It can happen in friends circles especially if said friends are fighting. It can happen in neighborhoods. However, the place it seems to happen the most is in politics and with celebrities. Politicians constantly dish dirt on political rivals, especially during elections, trying to cast themselves in a positive light and tear down the competition. Celebrities in the entertainment world constantly find themselves in the midst of scandals, with their adoring fans approving or disapproving of them based on one word or action. Words hold powerful magic. Find out just how powerful words are here: Magical Words: The Amazing Power of Words
Before we delve further into the topic of gossip, investigating why it happens, and what it causes, ask yourself a question. When was the last time that you were the subject of someone else's gossip? How did it make you feel? If it upset you, think about what the long term effects of it were. Sometimes, once the buzz from the gossip dies down, people go about their lives as if it didn't happen. So next time you are gossiped about, don't worry that it will be the end of the world, because chances are people won't even remember what was said.
Why Do People Gossip?
People gossip for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes they gossip to feel a sense of superiority. They feel like someone is engaging in shameful behavior which they would never engage in. So, spreading that person's shame is a way of bragging about their own virtues. Some people gossip because they find their own lives boring, and talking about other people excites them. Some people gossip because they don't like somebody and they want to make them look bad to the general public or a friends group. Other people gossip in good humor and don't have a problem with other people gossiping about them.
Gossip serves more of a function than just idle talk, however. It serves as a way to reinforce societal expectations. Being spoken against within your community can pressure you into doing what people want you to do. It does this by warning you about the negative consequences of undesirable behavior. Gossiping also creates group solidarity between the people who are gossiping together. It establishes boundaries that keeps the outsiders out, in this case the people who are being spoken about. Gossiping can be a result of fights, depending on the Zodiac sign you are fighting with. Find out how the signs fight here: How the Zodiac Signs Fight
What Does Gossip Do to the Mind
If you are the one doing the gossiping or the person being gossiped to, certain things will happen psychologically. It will make you feel included with other people who are doing the talking with you. It will give you a sense of superiority over the person who's being spoken against. It will help you to vent if you're upset with somebody who you're gossiping about. It can help you to feel victorious against your ex, or friend who you had a falling out with. In this way gossip can act as revenge and can feel healing.
For some people, gossip does not help them psychologically. If you find out that ugly things are being said about you that hurt you, it can make you feel isolated from people. It can make you feel betrayed and slandered, and if you thought that you had a relationship with whoever is gossiping about you, it can make you break off the relationship. It can damage your self esteem if what people are saying is hurtful, but it can also give you the strength to get good and angry. When someone who you thought cared about you gossips about you, it can make you upset enough to put your needs before what you think their needs are. It can show you that your relationship with them wasn't as good as you thought it was and it can help move you forward to healthier relationships. If your relationship isn’t what you thought it was, maybe it is time to break up. Find out if it is here: Navigating Breaking Up with Your Soulmate
The Ugly Side of Gossip
Gossip isn't just idle talk sometimes. It can be very damaging. When somebody's trust or privacy is violated, that's not good. When people are ridiculed it's hurtful and that's not a good thing either. Those things have to do with other people though. When people hear you gossiping, they may decide that they no longer respect or trust you and that is not in any way a good thing.
People’s Privacy is Compromised
Be very mindful of what you say about other people. You might be giving away personal information that they don't want you to share. If you wonder whether you should tell people something you know about somebody, ask yourself if you would want people knowing the same type of thing about you. You can always ask the person if it's alright to share the information, but if you have to ask, chances are you shouldn't tell. Someone has trusted you with personal information and if you betray their trust with sharing their secrets, they might never trust you again.
People Are Ridiculed
To be fair, some people make themselves look ridiculous and have nobody to blame for that but themselves. Do we have to make it worse? Chances are, someone's behavior has already let everybody know how they disgrace themselves. We don't have to add to it by reminding people of it. The person who has embarrassed themselves with what they've done probably won't need the reminder either. All of us do embarrassing things. If people ridiculed us in public every time that happened, we might never catch a break from being gossiped about. One Zodiac sign that can be brutally honest about people they have no respect for is Gemini and you can read about them here: Gemini Traits | Star Sign in The Spotlight
People Distrust the Gossiper
To intimately illustrate just how much people distrust mean gossips, a story about a woman will be shared. She traveled a lot, met a lot of people, and she talked about every last one of them. She shared embarrassing stories about their sex lives, their personal relationships, and even their struggles with things like addiction. She told complete strangers about these people's personal business. Eventually, a lot of people pulled away from her and told her not to talk to them anymore.
Gossip about private things should never be shared. All of us have something that we're embarrassed by or that we're sensitive about even if we're not embarrassed by it. Having those things broadcasted publicly might not ruin our lives, but it is unnecessary. Someone who would share such things might get laughs from people, but they will not be trusted in the long run. If you want people to trust you, don't talk against people, share their personal business, or expose any embarrassing details about people that you wouldn't want exposed about yourself. Gossips can be very difficult to deal with, but you can handle them. Find out how to deal with different kinds of difficult people here: How to Deal with Difficult People
The Benefits of Gossip
Gossip isn't all bad though, even if people are trying to say nasty things. Gossip generates interest and gets people talking, which can be a good thing. Gossip makes sure that you don't take yourself too seriously. Some sticky gossip can actually make people feel good about themselves. Read on to find out why.
It Creates Interest
People focus on what they talk about. They're talking about you, they're focused on you. That can be a very good thing. Famous celebrities rely on this type of talk to help them to stay relevant in between gigs. Some people will become so interested in you after hearing gossip, they might seek you out. If an ex lover gossips that you were an animal in the bedroom, you just might get a date. If an ex coworker gossips that you were like a shark in the boardroom, you just might get hired to be a tough administrator. Sometimes when people think that they are disparaging your character, they are actually making you look very interesting.
It Makes You Laugh at Yourself
Let's face it, none of us are perfect. If you fall off the wagon with your diet and are caught with a triple ice cream cone in public, you might never hear the end of it. That picture your best friend snapped with your mouth wide open looming over the ice cream cone might make you laugh so hard you lose 20 pounds just by laughing. Being gossiped about can be offensive, but it can also help to keep us humble. It reminds us that we are not without flaws and that sometimes those are screamingly obvious. So, laugh along with the gossip instead of being laughed at. A little laughter never hurt anybody. Laughter can help you along the path to becoming happy. Read more about the road to happiness here: The Path to Happiness
It Can Uplift People
If you are being gossiped about, that means that in some shape or form, you are important to somebody. Being reminded of the impact that you make can be a great feeling. Hearing what other people are saying about you can also be very flattering. If nobody is talking about you, you're doing something wrong. Especially if people speak against you because you have taken a strong stand on something that you believe in, you should be very proud of yourself. Don't let gossip make you feel down. Let it empower you to keep doing your best and keep being the wonderful person that you are.
How to Deal with Being Gossiped About
To illustrate the best way to handle being the victim of gossip, read the story of how one lady handled it. She was in charge of handling the thousands of dollars of charitable donations which were always delivered to the cause they were intended for. One day, years after performing this function, she was called out by a man who had never had any involvement in that. He stated that there were no receipts or other documentation that proved that she was not embezzling the money.
There are a lot of ways that she could have responded. She could have expressed horror at being disrespected so badly. She could have publicly called him out for it. She could have responded by criticizing his handling of something similar. She could have become terrified and immediately showed receipts. Instead, she did not respond at all. She did not address the concerns. She did not respond to the man who spoke against her. She did not change anything about the way that she worked going forward. The result was nobody else paid attention to what he said either and his accusations were quickly forgotten.
The way to deal with gossip is not to. Unless your job is at risk, or a relationship is in jeopardy, the way people speak about you does not affect your life. What about your reputation? If gossip about you is not true, but is damaging socially, it is only damaging to people who do not matter. The people who love you will know who you are. They will immediately know when you are being lied about, and they will either ignore the gossip, or they will take up for you. So don't waste your time reacting to gossip. You have more important things to do.
Gossip can be hurtful, but it can be one of the best things to happen to you. If gossip would hurt people or make them stop trusting you, don't do it. If gossip builds people up or makes them laugh with you, then by all means gossip. Anytime somebody gossips about you and it doesn't create any changes in your life, ignore it. Some people act like being gossiped about is the end of the world, it isn't. Let people talk, and be proud that you were important enough that someone decided to take their time to talk about you.
Are you dealing with some hurtful gossip and you need someone to lean on? You can lean on us anytime any day, so get a reading started now.
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