{"id":3841,"date":"2017-01-22T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2017-01-22T15:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3841"},"modified":"2017-01-21T18:04:37","modified_gmt":"2017-01-22T00:04:37","slug":"choose-not-to-gossip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3841","title":{"rendered":"Choose Not to Gossip"},"content":{"rendered":"

One More Year of Choices\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

By Barbara Dahlgren<\/em><\/p>\n

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The old television show Hee-Haw<\/em> had a humorous segment with four women called the Gossip Girls singing something like this\u2026<\/p>\n

“Now, we’re not ones to go ’round spreadin’ rumors,<\/p>\n

Why, really we’re just not the gossipy kind,<\/p>\n

No, you’ll never hear one of us repeating gossip,<\/p>\n

So you’d better be sure and listen close the first time!”<\/p>\n

Pretty funny, huh?<\/p>\n

Gossip can have many sides. In fact, some gossip can be good, some bad, and some ugly.<\/p>\n

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Good Gossip<\/strong><\/p>\n

Is there such a thing as good gossip? Actually gossip has several meanings. One is to exchange light, trivial chitchat. It’s a sort of mutual sharing of information. “Mary used a new hair coloring.” “John got a new car.” “Julie had a baby.” It’s usually common knowledge that one wouldn’t mind sharing with others. This kind of socialization helps us learn to relate to others and can be bonding.<\/p>\n

Bad Gossip<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, a second meaning is to spread rumors, usually of a sensitive or intimate nature. Don\u2019t we just love being privy to some juicy, personal tidbit about someone else? It doesn\u2019t even matter if it\u2019s true or not. People may not start out telling half-truths but by the time they tell their closest friends who tell their closest friends who tell their closest friends, the truth can get pretty distorted, but we believe it anyway. As the saying goes, \u201cSome people will believe anything if it\u2019s whispered to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

This type of gossip can be harmful and hurtful. Bad gossip is when you have to abruptly stop a conversation because the person being talked about comes into the room. When you are afraid to say it to a person\u2019s face, it can\u2019t be good to repeat.<\/p>\n

Ugly Gossip<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ugly gossip deliberately tries to damage a person\u2019s reputation, which goes beyond sharing something you\u2019ve heard. These are lies designed to cause pain and grief. With the Internet, they are all too easy to spread. Unfortunately, when people see something in print, they believe it even more than something whispered in the ear.<\/p>\n

This type of gossip can seem quite impersonal, unless you are the target of such maliciousness. School bullies use this technique on kids they don\u2019t like. This cyberbullying results in many young people committing suicide. They even have a term for it called \u201cbullycide.\u201d<\/p>\n

No wonder the Bible says, \u201cA troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. (Proverbs 16:28 – NLT) It also says, \u201cWhat dainty morsels rumors are\u2014but they sink deep into one’s heart.” (Proverbs 18:8 – NLT)<\/p>\n

Consider this\u2026 Gossip is like a feather blowing in the wind from place to place. Take ten feathers and release them in a breeze. Then try to retrieve them. It would be an impossible task. Gossip is similar to this. Once we utter gossip, we can\u2019t really get it back because it is blowing around from place to place.<\/p>\n

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Suggestions for practicing this choice\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n