A person who is a gossip is a frustrated personality, often a mousy creature who passes unnoticed, but actually craves to be the center of attention, at the price of anybody’s reputation. It is a pathological state. It is the only sin for which the church demands public restitution. The only way to restore a reputation is to publicly announce that the gossip is untrue. It is interesting to note that in civil law, one can sue a person for defamation of character, that is for gossip. Listening to gossip is participating in it. If there were no listeners, there would be no gossip.
Grace in Every Season (April 7)
I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, the need to shut our eyes to the world. Well, apparently we need to shut our ears and mouth too. This gossip mentality that is so pervasive, is no longer just coming from the neighborhood busybodies of old, but has infiltrated all types of media and thereby has easy access to all of us.
We may be thinking that it’s ok because the ones being talked about are public figures, either political, religious or from the entertainment industry. But how much are we our selves contributing to the ugliness by bringing evil and vulgarity to light and rehashing it over and over? We keep supplying those necessary ‘clicks’ that keep these gossip mongers in business.
We need to try to promote what we love instead of bashing what we hate. It’s not always easy… the temptation is there and I for one fall often. But we have to keep trying to not get enmeshed with the swamp. If you keep stirring poop, you’re going to start to stink. 😉