I can’t seem to stop gossiping and complaining about the people around me. This primarily happens at work and I am not the only person who does it; it is a toxic environment where bitching is the norm, so it is hard to resist. Every day I give myself a little talk about how I am not going to say a bad word about someone and every day I get sucked into gossip or end up saying something mean.
It is difficult to stop gossiping, especially if you feel insecure in your work environment. It is an expedient way to bond with someone when you have a third party that you both agree is in some way bad. As the socialite and wit Alice Roosevelt Longworth once said: “If you’ve got nothing nice to say… come and sit by me.”
Gossip can work as a glue, it flows between people who feel mutually friendly and it’s a sign that you trust them. There are downsides. If you hear negative gossip about someone, it can change the way you think about them, which can be unfair and harsh. Neither is it great when it seems it’s become your turn to be the subject of the gossip.
Women revel in it, a disease that brings organisations, countries and families crashing down.