Gossip and Rumour

Gossip and rumour, the cancers of modern society, a deadly combination; they can be just as invidious and harmful. I know full well in my work as a Samaritan, it can even lead to death by suicide.

Many of us, if we haven’t been the unfortunate victim of it, may well have participated in it. To indulge in it can be very tempting, seductive even, and yet ultimately destructive, for both sides.

Whether in the workplace, when in times of strict budgetary constraints workers speculate on who might be next to be made redundant; at home, when a partner or spouse may be accused of infidelity or worse; if in the public eye, you are seem to be fair game for any disgruntled comment from someone who does not share your views, or who has their own agenda.   

It can be hard not to become involved in gossip; people like to be ‘in the know’, and to have interesting, juicy bits of information about others - the sharp rise in celebrity gossip magazines only goes to highlight this, by feeding a voracious appetite for it. Knowledge is after all, power, and fuelling subversive activity makes those in the lower pecking order feel more in control.

Gossip and rumour spreading does however waste time, promotes divisiveness, which often the aim, to divide and conquer, and can destroy morale.     

When it takes on an unpleasant personal tone it is often malicious, and in its worst form it can become harassment.

The antidote to this is to be transparent and honest; to be willing to share information and to fight rumour with good communication, keeping people fully informed, however uncomfortable that may be. Hearing it from the horse’s mouth prevents mischief makers from getting in on the act, and acting quickly will soon stop them in their tracks. By effectively engaging with them at every opportunity, you will be able to encourage cooperation rather than competition, thus avoiding conflict and resentment.

It’s human nature to want to know what’s going on, and a large dose of accurate, open information goes a long way to stop it.

So, go on, tell someone something they’re just dying to know, that’ll stop the gossip in its tracks!