Watch out for the Gossip Virus!
Many of us are very preoccupied about catching the swine flu that is going around. We wash our hands, get the flu shots, use disinfectants for cleaning and take other precautions. Some even wear face masks in airplanes and public transportation in order to prevent themselves from being infected. However, only a few people are worried about catching another very dangerous type of virus – Human Gossip Virus or HGV (do not confuse with HGTV). 
Gossip Virus is very similar to all other viruses. It is transmitted by air. It is highly contagious and it spreads like wildfire. It can be highly negative, inflammatory and harmful to the person being spoken about. And it makes people who indulge in gossiping suffer such side-effects as regret and a sense of guilt.
The news is not comforting – psychologists say that more and more people report being addicted to gossip!
Initially it seems so harmless. Having a little chitchat with your girlfriend about a mutual friend. Discussing Hollywood stars’ breakups, drunken fights and failed marriages. Expressing your dissatisfaction about your boss’s decision. Debating over someone else’s relationships.
What can be so harmful about that? – Just a few people, expressing their opinions and discussing the latest news. Looks absolutely innocent. But the consequences can be irreversible: ruined relationships, destroyed reputations, lack of trust and respect towards you (just to name a few)
Fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to become immune to gossiping:
- Wear a Gossip-Less Bracelet. Wise people from the East have an interesting habit. Whenever they want to say something negative about another person, they take their bracelet from one wrist and place it on the other wrist. It gives them time to reflect if they really want to say those words. I do the same thing. Whenever I get the urge to criticize someone or to share the latest gossip, I look at my bracelet and it reminds me of my goal.
- Start your Gossip Diary. Sometimes when we discover a particularly interesting piece of gossip, we may feel like we are going to explode if we do not share it with someone else. It is almost an impossible task to control this urge to tell someone. Before grabbing the first person who is willing to listen to you, get your story down on paper. Start your own Gossip diary just for that purpose. Write down everything you have learned, including the whole story, how you found out about it and why it is so cool. It really helps to calm the mind and relieve the itch for gossiping.
- Take precautions. Listening to gossip and agreeing with it – is getting yourself into someone else’s war and adding fuel to the fire, because it only encourages the person to proceed with their story. Besides, the longer you listen the greater the odds will be that you will feel the temptation to join in.
There are three great under-the-radar techniques that will help you instantly stop the gossip. The first one is saying something positive about the person or event that is being discussed. If this does not help – ask the person who is gossiping if they can offer a solution or their help to improve the situation. Usually it makes the gossip stop cold. But if even this does not help– run! I mean it! You just found a highly contagious Gossip infected person. Just say that this really is not any of your business, that you are running late and bid everyone “Good Bye”.
I realize that it can be hard to stop the habit of gossiping. Most of us are so used to gossip that we do not even notice it anymore. We grew up around it, and naturally we participate on occasions.
Your first step to a gossip-free life: Make a vow to yourself to refrain from any type of gossiping for an hour a day. Believe me it may be harder than it sounds!
P.S. If nothing helps and you are still addicted to gossiping there is just one solution – a mask and a gag underneath it.
Many of us are very preoccupied about catching the swine flu that is going around. We wash our hands, get the flu shots, use disinfectants for cleaning and take other precautions. Some even wear face masks in airplanes and public transportation in order to prevent themselves from being infected. However, only a few people are worried about catching another very dangerous type of virus – Human Gossip Virus or HGV (do not confuse with HGTV). J
Gossip Virus is very similar to all other viruses. It is transmitted by air. It is highly contagious and it spreads like wildfire. It can be highly negative, inflammatory and harmful to the person being spoken about. And it makes people who indulge in gossiping suffer such side-effects as regret and a sense of guilt.
The news is not comforting – psychologists say that more and more people report being addicted to gossip!
Initially it seems so harmless. Having a little chitchat with your girlfriend about a mutual friend. Discussing Hollywood stars’ breakups, drunken fights and failed marriages. Expressing your dissatisfaction about your boss’s decision. Debating over someone else’s relationships.
What can be so harmful about that? – Just a few people, expressing their opinions and discussing the latest news. Looks absolutely innocent. But the consequences can be irreversible: ruined relationships, destroyed reputations, lack of trust and respect towards you (just to name a few)
Fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to become immune to gossiping:
- Wear a Gossip-Less Bracelet. Wise people from the East have an interesting habit. Whenever they want to say something negative about another person, they take their bracelet from one wrist and place it on the other wrist. It gives them time to reflect if they really want to say those words. I do the same thing. Whenever I get the urge to criticize someone or to share the latest gossip, I look at my bracelet and it reminds me of my goal.
- Start your Gossip Diary. Sometimes when we discover a particularly interesting piece of gossip, we may feel like we are going to explode if we do not share it with someone else. It is almost an impossible task to control this urge to tell someone. Before grabbing the first person who is willing to listen to you, get your story down on paper. Start your own Gossip diary just for that purpose. Write down everything you have learned, including the whole story, how you found out about it and why it is so cool. It really helps to calm the mind and relieve the itch for gossiping.
- Take precautions. Listening to gossip and agreeing with it – is getting yourself into someone else’s war and adding fuel to the fire, because it only encourages the person to proceed with their story. Besides, the longer you listen the greater the odds will be that you will feel the temptation to join in.
There are three great under-the-radar techniques that will help you instantly stop the gossip. The first one is saying something positive about the person or event that is being discussed. If this does not help – ask the person who is gossiping if they can offer a solution or their help to improve the situation. Usually it makes the gossip stop cold. But if even this does not help– run! I mean it! You just found a highly contagious Gossip infected person. Just say that this really is not any of your business, that you are running late and bid everyone “Good Bye”.
I realize that it can be hard to stop the habit of gossiping. Most of us are so used to gossip that we do not even notice it anymore. We grew up around it, and naturally we participate on occasions.
Your first step to a gossip-free life: Make a vow to yourself to refrain from any type of gossiping for an hour a day. Believe me it may be harder than it sounds!
P.S. If nothing helps and you are still addicted to gossiping there is just one solution – a mask and a gag underneath it. J
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Tags: become immune to gossip, harm of gossip, how stop gossiping, overcome addiction to gossip, steps to stop gossiping, stop gossip advice
