It is easy to forget or perhaps not fully understand the damaging effects that gossip can have on your fellow human. In this day and age where rumor and gossip travels and gets amplified through social media, it is especially important to try and eliminate such potentially destructive behavior. So take the pledge today and refrain from gossiping. Use the hashtag #GossipKills to signal your participation.
Take a moment to remember a time where you endured the pain that gossip brought about to your own life. That specific instance may have been rather minor for you, but there are those that have literally had their lives destroyed by gossip that is often times spread like a wildfire through the various messaging and social media platforms. At #GossipKills our goal is to create a kinder and more considerate world. Take a second to think about the ramifications to your fellow human being who has feelings just like you before you decide to share gossip about them.
The idea of not gossiping can be complicated. What is considered gossip and when is thoughtful discussion necessary or perhaps even required. To be honest, this is a complicated and nuanced discussion that we hope to delve into in the future. For now though, we simply hope that more thought is put into our discussions. Is this gossip that maliciously spreads rumor or even truth that will unnecessarily impact someone else?
One of the most effective ways in diminishing gossip is to “put yourself in the shoes” of person who you are about to gossip about. Think about how it would make you feel.
“How would your life be different if…You walked away from gossip and verbal defamation? Let today be the day…You speak only the good you know of other people and encourage others to do the same.”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
GossipKills was a concept for a while but the impetus was hearing about a young father battling a sudden illness. We believe that less gossip will be a blessing for a swift recovery for Yehoshua Rafael Halevi Ben Yocheved.
Please stay tuned for discussions on gossip.
Have thoughts to share about gossip and ways to minimize it? Contact us to share.
Accept that you will likely gossip but a conscious effort to avoid such negative talk is what will make a true difference toward making this a kinder world.
