{"id":72,"date":"2017-01-06T08:53:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T08:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lensq.com\/?p=72"},"modified":"2017-01-06T08:53:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-06T08:53:00","slug":"shhh-no-gossiping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/06\/shhh-no-gossiping\/","title":{"rendered":"Shhh! No Gossiping"},"content":{"rendered":"<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image result for gossip\" src=\"http:\/\/faculty.knox.edu\/fmcandre\/Gossip_girls.jpg\" height=\"296\" style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: medium;\" width=\"400\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">\u201cCan you hear the sounds in the neighbor\u2019s house? I wonder what they are fighting over. Carrie told me that she doubts her husband. It is probably about that. How mean he is!\u201d<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">\u201cRita has been lately staying at home. Did she lose her job?\u201d<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">At a party, \u201cRony had been spending quite a huge sum these days. There is no legal way he could have earned so much.\u201d<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Well! Well! All of us would have gossiped some time or the other. And some of us live only on gossip. And a very few of us hate it. We know it is wrong. But why is it wrong?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<p><a name='more'><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Why do we gossip?<\/span><\/h2>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Gossip started as a social bonding activity in the early days. It was used to condemn immoral behavior. It sets the unwritten rules in the community. In 21<sup>st<\/sup>century, do we still need to gossip?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Now, we gossip for a variety of reasons which are not so useful. Some people gossip because that is the only way to make friends for them. When two people dislike the same person, they just become thick friends. Their friendship runs on the hatred for the common enemy. Shared hatred makes a stronger bond then shared positivity. For a few others, it helps in overcoming their inferiority complex. Some do it just out of envy. Whatever might be the reason for it, it is a negative behavior which one should get rid of.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<h3 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Why should you not gossip?<\/span><\/h3>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"background: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">It lowers your value:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"background: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Great&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14pt;\">minds discuss<\/span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">&nbsp;ideas; average&nbsp;minds discuss events;&nbsp;small minds discuss people.<\/span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Do you want to be the small mind?<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">It lowers trust levels:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">No one trusts a person who gossips. People want their secrets to be safe. The person whom you gossip will not trust you because he knows that you will gossip about him also to someone else.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">It ruins relations:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">People who gossip do not have healthy relations. Their relations live on negativity. They just live on a guilty pleasure. And all they have are superficial friends. Happiness depends on the number of quality friends you have and not quantity.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">It breeds negativity:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">If you keep gossiping all the time, you are only looking at the negative qualities in a person. You will never be able to be happy if you continue your life in negative pleasure. When you look at the positive qualities in a person, life looks more positive.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">It does not help you grow:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">When you satisfy your ego<\/p>\n<p> by gossiping, you are only looking ways to put others down but not the ways in you can improve. Do you want to keep degrading or improving in life?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><\/div>\n<h3 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">How to not gossip?<\/span><\/h3>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Put yourself in others shoes:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Have you ever heard a gossip about you come back to you? How did you feel? You must have felt very humiliated. Won\u2019t the other people feel the same? Irrespective of whether they are good or bad, you don\u2019t have the permission to hurt others. You have better work to do than judging others. If you truly think what they have done is wrong, inform the person what the right behavior is. Talking behind their back helps no one, including you and him.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Triple filter test:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Whenever you are tempted to gossip, ask the following three questions:<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Is it true?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Is it good?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;\">Is it useful?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">If the answer is false for even one of them, don\u2019t talk about it.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">Katy: Mary is dating Richards.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">You: Did Mary or Richard tell you about it?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">Katy: No, I have seen them together a lot of times.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">That\u2019s purely gossip. Avoid this at all costs.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">Ask yourself \u201cWhat\u2019s bothering me?\u201d<\/span><\/h4>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">When you feel like gossiping, ask yourself why you feel like gossiping. In the previous example, Katy must have been envious of Mary for spending a lot of time with Richard which she was not able to. If Katy would have worked on becoming a better person, her chances of spending time with a person like Richard increases. She should work on it rather than gossiping about Mary.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">Make healthy relations:<\/span><\/h4>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">Develop a few hobbies. Read more about what interests you. Next time you meet your friends you can talk about interesting topics. Tell them what you learnt in a way they can relate to. They will start liking you.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">Give up gossiping. Make your life healthier and happier.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;\">Happy stopping gossip!<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cCan you hear the sounds in the neighbor\u2019s house? I wonder what they are fighting over. Carrie told me that she doubts her husband. It is probably about that. How &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-happiness","has-meta has-sticky-meta"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lensq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}