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At the start of each New Year, many will make resolutions of self-improvement. Gym memberships will rise, healthy eating habits and fad diets will be all the rage, and stories will be shared between friends of personal successes and failures of the stated goals. We cannot help but also gossip and find fault in lofty goals and expectations in the coming year. But what if ending gossip could heal much of the divide in life?
Each day we hold the power of life and death in our tongue. It was the playwright, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who wrote, “the pen is mightier than the sword.” However, the tongue is likely responsible for more death than pens and swords combined. We control perception and reputation with the power of our words and choices.
Oscar Wilde wrote, “My dear Arthur, I never talk scandal. I only talk gossip. What is the difference between scandal and gossip? Oh! Gossip is charming! History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.”
When we choose our news source, are they following ethics and morality? The shows you listen to, are they gossip, or verified factual accounts? Gossip is a billion-dollar industry that has blurred the lines between what should and should not be published by “news” media. Podcasts and alternative media are now under a closer lens for scrutiny regarding how we approach information sharing.
Imagine a world without gossip.
What would you talk about with co-workers? What would the dinner table sound like? When you go out with friends, what conversation would be the most important?
I propose that the gossip journalism industry has decimated our ability to be present for one another with judgment. We have authentic relationships around us, but some may be propped up by the harms of slander and gossip. In 2023, I resolve to verify my sources, speculate on stories while trying to minimize harm to an individual’s reputation, and ask my guests to be accountable for assertions and allegations.
This can be the year we return to authenticity in relationships. It will take presence, peace of mind, and empathy to build each other up in harmony, rather than destroy for personal gain and power.