Why I No Longer Trust Gossip (and You Shouldn’t Either)

Remember the “broken telephone” game from when we were kids? The first kid whispers “I ate an apple”, it’s passed down the line, and the last one shouts “I am in Egypt!” That’s gossip. Here’s why I stopped trusting it.

1. People only hear what they want to hear

Instead of listening to what was actually said, people take away their own understanding, and pass on that version. You get a second-hand story that can change how you feel about the person who said the original. So before letting it affect you, analyse it. Not every source is reliable.

2. People change the story to suit themselves

Stories get adjusted to fit the teller’s needs before being passed on. Some people manipulate you even after years of friendship, and when you catch them, they convince you that you got it wrong.

I’d rather have one real friend than ten fake ones. Actually, I’d rather have none and chill by myself than keep fake ones around. Keep the people who tell you the truth however hard it is, and question what you hear even from them. Anyone can be in their ego for a moment.

3. Meet people for yourself

It’s much better to go and talk to someone, watch how they act, how they speak, what they do, and reach your own conclusion. Otherwise the image others planted will shape how you treat them, and you might be cold to someone who loves you, or warm to someone who doesn’t care about you at all.

4. It steals your focus

Think of all the gossip you’ve heard lately. Now imagine you’d stayed deaf to it, and spent that headspace on your next project, your next business idea, or how to grow as a person. Gossip only keeps you stuck.