By Rosie Moore

I’ve read somewhere that we are all guilty of using gossip as a vital method of communication. Some would even say that we thrive on the juicy tidbits that we eagerly wait to hear and share. Surprisingly, men are gossipers, also, at 55% while women gossip at 67%. Why do we gossip? Primarily because it’s fun and it helps us to figure out what’s going on inside each other’s head. Actually, it may be good for us, hearing or relating exciting news spikes the feel-good hormone levels in our brain and helps us form bonds with the people we’re talking to.     Well, maybe so. I don’t entirely agree with that.

A gossiper is a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts  about others. They also report about other people’s private lives that might be unkind, disapproving, or untrue. If something wonderful happens to you and you tell someone else, and they tell someone else, that’s not gossiping. That’s passing good news along. Gossiping is like eating cake for breakfast, temporarily thrilling, totally delicious, but leaves you feeling kind of icky.

Over the years, I’ve heard some famous quotes about gossip, such as:

“Anyone who will gossip to you, will gossip about you.”

“If you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all.”

“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.”

I like what Billy Graham said, “A real Christian is  a person who can give his pet parrot  to the town gossip.” Then there’s that wise  King Solomon, who wrote in his book Ecclesiastics, chapter five, verse one, (revised version) “ As you enter God’s house, keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.”

Apropos, gossip is not only to be done in God’s house, but also, don’t do it at home, on the phone, at the mall, in school, over the neighbor’s fence. It will make you feel icky.

Thought for the day: What is told in the ears of a man can often be heard 100 miles away.   Chinese proverb

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