Gossip is slightly different from rumor. It deals with shocking or
personal subjects matter; it is usually about relationships or
private things that are openly discussed. Gossip is usually spread
behind a person's back and it can be true, false or a rumor. A piece
of gossip is a lie if it is known to be false but if it is true, it can be very hurtful because the
information maybe private and personal.
Rumor
on the other hand, is a piece of information that has not been
verified to be true or false by the person telling it. Rumors spread
from person to person or from one person to a group of people; they
can change slightly each time, so they get more exaggerated over
time. Most people don't bother to check whether the rumors are true
or not, they don't care. A rumor might be true, partially true,
partially or totally made up. Unless someone can definitely say that
an information is true or not, it will remain a rumor
There are different
types of gossip and rumors. They are not alike and some can be more
hurtful and damaging than others:
There is
Slander when people lies about a person in order to cause pain or
damage and pass on embarrassing rumors that probably are not true.
Slander is one of the most dangerous types of rumor, because the
whole point is to hurt somebody.
Dishing is
another word for gossiping. It is generally spreading of rumors and
gossip that people don't usually think twice about. It is slightly
different than slander because in this case, it is not intended to
cause someone pain and humiliation.
Sometimes rumors start out as
silly
jokes, then get spread
around and changed over and over again and become
wild stories.
They seem more like the truth because lots of people are
telling the same tale and one may wonder how can all these people be wrong.
Many
rumors tap into someone's common
fears and concern,
and could make them sound true even though they usually are not.
Sometimes these are rumors that entail the threat of physical harm,
the unknown and unfamiliar, and things that are gross or way-out
weird.
Many rumors are just about people getting things wrong
(misinformation),
or believing in exaggerations. Sometimes people will swear up and
down that they know something to be true when, in reality, they are
just passing on a rumor they have heard from someone.
A
hurtful rumor that is spread through
cyber-gossip should be taken
just as seriously as any other kind of rumors. Internet has made it
easy to spread a rumor to lots of people with lightning-fast
speed. Cyber-gossip can include any of the other types
mentioned here. It can be even more damaging when rumor is
started this way than if it is done in person because of how
many people it can reach in a short period of time.
Whether it is gossip or rumor, we have to be on the lookout, it could be
dangerous or harmful. We should be more wary
of the gossiper, and not the gossip they are trying to relay.
Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events,
weak minds discuss people.
Related page:
Disturbing
Effects of Gossip and rumor
By Tim Pedrosa
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