blatant propaganda article:

Nasties that are Spread Orally

Gossip : are you a carrier?

If someone has plenty of gossip for you, they have plenty of gossip about you.

gossiping hens image

Gossip can be fun and stimulating when it doesn't harm someone else. Be sensitive to the other person's feelings and think about the impact that the gossip may have. Respect confidentiality.

The motto: "I only tell things about other people that I wouldn't mind being told about myself"
is not a useful guide for gossiping.

Everyone is different when it comes to their personal life being made public. You may not mind telling some people certain things about yourself. That does not mean, however, that you want it to be an open topic of conversation. Consider this when talking about others.

When gossip is about you, there is a fine line between feeling important that people want to talk about you, and feeling paranoid, betrayed, embarassed or hurt. If you feel that there is untruth in the gossip you hear you may need to resolve the situation by approaching the gossiper and discussing the situation rationally.

Be confident. Think through what you are going to say to the person before-hand. Be direct and clear about how you think and feel. Ask the person how they would feel if the gossip was about them.

Gossip can cause controversy and conflict and has ruined many a good friendship or relationship. Envying someone else's success and gossiping to hurt them makes you look the injured party/fool/obsessive one...

When you are an attentive listener to a thoughtless gossiper, you satisfy their need for recognition and esteem. You also show that you approve of their gossiping which encourages them to do it in the future... and potentially hurt more people.

The above text is a paraphrased and re-orded version of a booklet titled "You wouldn't believe the nasties that get spread orally" published by the AIDS Action Council of the Australian Capital Territory.

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