People often stir drama for personal advantage. It could be to advance their own agenda. They may be on a power play. Sometimes people talk about others thinking it will make them feel better about their own life. And, sadly, I’ve known people who seem to get a “cheap thrill” out of creating drama. (I’ve never understood this one, but it’s true.)
The only reliable source is the direct source. Every. Single. Time. In fact, a good discipline would be to not repeat anything that wasn’t from a direct source.
Thumper’s mom was right. If we can’t say something nice we really shouldn’t say anything at all. If we all lived by this principle there would be far less drama. And, far less pain caused as a result.
Gossip destroys. Gossip can bring down a person’s reputation quickly. Start a tale about someone and watch their character unravel in front of you. It happens to celebrities and politicians. I’ve seen in happen to pastors, individuals and entire churches.
The point of this post is awareness about the answer to the question, “Why do people gossip?” Most of my readers are believers. Some non-believers, however, will likely share my distaste of gossip in relationships. If you’ve made it this far in the post, you and I can make a difference in stopping gossip from spreading by how we respond to it.
You may want to read my post 7 Ways to Stop Gossip. Or, even better, read the Book of James in the New Testament. Or maybe Ephesians. (Specifically note 4:29.)
This article exploring “Why do people gossip?” originally appeared here.
