According to Wikipedia, gossip is idle talk or rumor about the personal or private affairs of others. It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but it has a bad reputation also for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted. The term refers especially to idle chat or rumor of personal or trivial nature, as opposed to normal conversation.
Just Ignore Gossips but Only to Some Extent
As long as you are not doing anything wrong, not harming anyone, and minding only your personal affairs, then you should generally not care about what other people say negatively about you. If a person is gossiping about you—the only people who will enjoy the gossips and will easily believe these are evil persons and fellow gossipmongers anyway?
Decent persons would not entertain, feast on, or believe in gossips; so the moment they hear gossips or encounter a gossiper, they will not entertain or encourage this; the least they can do is listen without commenting or agreeing. Gossipers talk about others because they are envious, insecure, miserable, or simply love attention.
The Dark Force Is Strong, but the Will of a Respectful Person Is Stronger
There are times when—no matter how cool and broadminded you are—you get affected by gossips about you—especially when you are at a vulnerable or tired moment. In cases like this, don’t fall into the folly of getting back at the gossipmongers by engaging in the same evil activity. Just divert your attention to worthwhile activities: Focus on your job or studies; during break times, read a book or avoid dining with classmates or coworkers whose favorite pastime is small talk. Or, if you find yourself stuck with gossiping people, avoid throwing in a comment or even nodding or laughing in approval because by doing so you become an accessory to their cheap and evil deeds. If you cannot tell them that what they are doing is inappropriate, then just keep quiet and don’t join the conversation.
Report Workplace Gossipers Especially when They Go Overboard
When the gossip is becoming really serious or malicious—like issues that are non-work-related, family or other personal affairs, marital relationships, or anything that has the potential of ruining a reputation—this is legally unacceptable already. True or not, gossips should not be allowed to continue. If it involves you or someone you care about, then you should help stop it. You may consult your supervisor, manager, or any representative from the Human Resources Department to report the details of the gossips being passed around by guilty coworkers. Just be consistent and be ready to stand by your claims. Gossipers must be dealt with accordingly and should realize that what they are doing is socially unacceptable, and must therefore be called upon and disallowed to continue; and that their refusal to cooperate can cause them the loss of their jobs.
The Root Causes of Gossiping
There are three basic reasons a person engage in gossiping—first, ‘envy’ or ‘hatred’ for the individuals s/he is gossiping about; second, the gossipmonger’s ‘feeling of insecurity and emptiness.’ Sad and narrowminded persons usually have no interest in worthwhile activities such as sports, arts, literature, music, or any socially enriching preoccupations, thus developing a tendency to look into and meddle with the affairs of others especially of those whom s/he considers achievers, to discredit their achievements, deluding herself into believing that destroying the reputations of these victims will somehow elevate herself and make her feel good and better than them. Lastly, most gossipers are attention seekers—they start gossips to attract the attention of others.
Sa Madaling Salita
Ang pagkakalat ng tsismis ay gawain ng mga taong inggitero, miseráble, kulang sa pansin, at wala masyadong mapaglibangán. Kung biktima ka ng tsismis, wag mo na lang itong pansinin—mapapagod rin ang mga iyan. Pero kung ang tsismis ay seryoso at malisyoso na, nararapat ka nang gumawa ng kaukulang ligál na hakbang. Kung ikaw naman ang mahilig sa tsismis o madalas na nag-uumpisa ng tsismis, e tigilan mo na ’yang katarantaduhang iyan at wag mo nang antaying makatagpo ka ng taong hindi ka uurungan kahit sa korte pa kayo umabot.
Or, in Simple Words
Never mind small talks, and simply ignore gossipmongers. However, when the gossip is getting malicious and too personal already, you have to take action and deal with this in a professional way by consulting the management or even a legal counsel. This way, you will know your legal options, and you prevent yourself from falling into the trap of retaliating inappropriately, and you help cut the vicious cycle of gossiping.
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
Wala ka bang magandang libangan sa buhay tulad ng pagbabasa ng libro, pakikinig ng musika, panonood ng pelikula, pamamasyal, o pakikipagdiskurso ukol sa iba’t bang isyu kung kaya ang nakahiligan mong pampalipas-oras o bukambibig ay tsismis o ang pagkakalat ng istorya tungkol sa buhay ng iyong kapwa—totoo man o hindi ang mga kuwentong ito?
Biktima ka ba ng mga maysa-manananggal na matatalas ang mga dila?
Dapat ba itong ipagkibit-balikat na lang at wag pansinin? Hanggang kailan hahayaan ang mga taong mahilig mangtsismis? Teka, ano nga ba ang tsismis, o ‘gossip’ sa Ingles?
