All of Us, Any of Us and the Rest of Us

A sad condition of the human nature is to spread information about others – gossip.

It is an interesting fact that the word gossip is an Old English word that means God-relative, kinsman, friend. Hence, a gossip was someone close to another person with privy information about that person. At one time the words gossip and friend were interchangeable. Apparently, there was a time a gossip was someone to be trusted. What happen?

Today, gossip means a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others. Those facts are usually harmful and damaging. It seems that no one ever gossips about another’s virtues.

The saying sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me is an untrue saying. Words have the power to encourage or discourage; to heal or wound; to give hope or bring despair; to convey love or transmit hate. Words are indeed powerful.

What is gossip? If you are unwilling to say “it” in the presence of the person, then it is gossip.

To overcome challenges have all of us,
so it hardly behooves any of us,
to talk about the rest of us.

(modified quote of Edward Wallis Hoch)