Photo by rajat sarki on Unsplash
What do nosy neighbors, news-hungry media moguls, and shrewd office peons have in common? All of them are masters in the art of gossiping. Honestly, all of us indulge in this fun, seemingly harmless activity at times. It seems harmless because we assume that the person in question will never know we are talking about them. It is also fun because it is an engaging distraction from your troubles and can help you vent.
Gossiping does not always come with negative connotations.
Bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari attributes the rise of humans at the top of the food chain to gossip. He states that we became a strong community by taking an active interest in each other’s lives. Doing so helped us form bonds and nurture relationships that led to the growth of an entire civilization. So when we talk about someone, we care about their lives to some extent. We could hate them or envy them, but we are interested in their trajectory.
But it is a two-way street.
If you are talking about someone, know that there is someone out there talking about you. You might think that you’re leading a spotless life with no room for ill-founded rumors or unwarranted questions. After all, you are not doing anything even remotely scandalous as the girl/boy next door. Your life is a clean slate, or so you think. But anything and everything has the potential to be fodder for gossip. Why, people could also be trash-talking about how dull and boring your life is. You could be the kindest, inspiring person for miles, and people will still find ways to talk ill about you. Let them say whatever they want to say. Talk is cheap, after all.
Don’t let the fear of being gossiped about stop you from pursuing your passion or being with someone you love. You will always get tongues wagging no matter what you do. So why waste your time bowing down to social expectations? You don’t want to end up on your deathbed with the regret that you wasted years trying to win social approval.
Instead of worrying about the opinion of loved ones and randos, live on your terms.
The wise thing to do is ignore the noise and focus on yourself. Shed your inhibitions and go after what you want. And revel in the thrill of knowing that your life is a source of entertainment for a bored bunch with nothing better to do. Do them a favor and give them something to talk about.
Savithri Vishwanathan is an aspiring author who is currently dabbling in blogging. She writes about life and its many peculiarities at https://nofiltersonlycoffee.in/.
