At some point, you have heard people gossip or have gossiped. It’s simply human nature, right?
But what if you’ve been the victim of gossip? How can you protect yourself from the damaging effect of gossip and prevent it from affecting you in university?
Why Do People Gossip?
It’s no secret that people love to gossip. But why do they do it? Well, gossip tends to make people feel powerful. Why? Because they know something about another person that others don’t, and sharing this information seems to boost their ego. It brings the person a sense of satisfaction knowing that they have told the information (whether it’s true or not) before the victim has said anything. Yes, it’s mean, but some people find that they can bond with others through this slightly dodgy method.
How to Protect Yourself
You can’t stop people from gossiping, but you can make yourself less of a target. If you have a problem that you would like to share with someone, make sure you trust this person implicitly, and they have already proved themselves worthy of this trust.
But what if people are already talking about you? It can hurt when trust is broken and you hear things via the grapevine. (And university is quite some grapevine!)
The best thing for you to do would be to confront the people who created the gossip or started sharing something private about you. No one likes confrontation, but there are ways to deal with a situation to bring it to a close. You’ll thank yourself later once the matter is resolved.
Remember too the old saying that says if they gossip with you, they’ll gossip about you. If you want to stay out of the quagmire of varsity gossip and drama, then stay clear of those that revel in it.
How to Stop Yourself From Gossiping
Another way to protect yourself from gossip is to not gossip about others. There is a fine line between gossiping and sharing news about another person. If you are about to share news about someone, think to yourself, “Is this information true or confirmed by said person?”
If the answer is no, it may damage this person’s reputation and should probably be left unsaid. If the answer is yes, would you still say what you are about to say if the person you’re talking about was in the room with you? If not, don’t say anything. Even if the information is true or exciting, it’s not your story to tell.
Yes, gossip is everywhere. That doesn’t mean that you have to be a part of it. By distancing yourself from both gossip and those who thrive on gossip, you’ll be happier knowing that you aren’t aiding in people’s misery.
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