“Using the analogy of the human mind as a computer, gossip can be compared to a computer virus. A computer virus is a piece of computer language written in the same language all the other codes are written in, but with a harmful intent.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements
When you gossip you casually talk about other people’s personal affairs and situations.The word gossip in itself already explains that it’s not just talking about someone , but talking about someone with a certain intent, even if you are just sharing things that really happened , it’s the intent you share it with that matters and it can lead to bad mouthing of someone behind their backs, based on false accusations and lies. Usually the second follows the first when the first one does not have the desired effect.
Human conversation can be a powerful tool. It can also be a very destructive weapon. How we decide to talk about others can be productive or very counterproductive. We decide every day how we talk about others , do we give constructive feedback or do we take them down with our words? How do we say it , what is your intent when you share information about others? The destructive power of gossip is a reality to be dealt with.
Gossip is not innocent , it can ruin a reputation ,destroy friendships, lead to bullying humiliate and demean, exclude people , make them feel miserable and ruin trust between people and ruin trust in people in general. We can teach ourselves as Jedi to not say anything that you would not say to the person in question , that if we hear slander about ourselves or others to go to the source and confront the person gossipping, ask questions. We can caution others to speak kindly of others and speak of others kindly ourselves.We all have different perceptions about others , and very often we don’t understand what people are about , or why they do certain things. It’s tempting to find allies against someone like that , and it can be very satisfying to badmouth someone , but like many things , its a negative way of dealing with others and the way they are.
Thinking of how you would like others to see you and talk about you always seems to help for me. Treat others how you want to be treated yourself , no ..treat them better!
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