People are afraid and sometimes even hate gossips, because rumors can not only ruin the mood and worsen relations between people, but even cause serious damage to reputation. However, while gossips are dangerous, living in constant fear of them is wrong and simply too troublesome.
How to treat gossips
If they start to gossip about you, do not get angry and do not try to quickly prove to everyone that the information is actually wrong. First, your reaction can convince others that you are hiding something and are probably trying to deny the truth, because it is unpleasant to you. Secondly, it will become even more pleasant for gossipers to come up with rumors about you, and you will give them reasons yourself. If it so happens that you become a victim of gossip, it is better to ignore the people who are chatting about you behind your back, and do not try to make excuses. Over time, gossipers will find someone else about whom it will be more interesting to spread rumors.
In a word, there is no need to treat such people as something bad to be fought with. Gossipers are an integral part of the team, and you shouldn't waste your nerves getting angry with them. Remember that false information may appear about each person, so you do not need to think that you are unlucky with friends or colleagues, and, moreover, that you have some kind of flaw. Talking behind your back is, alas, natural.
Consider the fact that people who spread rumors about you are interested in your life. This means that they have virtually no life of their own or the desire to think about their problems. Besides, you seem to them to be an interesting person. With this in mind, try to think of gossipers as people who should not be feared or hated, but rather pitied. Change the attitude in this way, and communication in the team will be easier.
Finally, keep in mind that a gossip can also be a very nice person, whose drawback is not a pathological addiction to rumors, but only excessive emotionality and concern for everyone around, the desire to take part in their affairs.
How to use gossip to your advantage
Some people even manage to change their attitude towards gossips from negative to positive. To begin with, think about the fact that rumor lovers rarely come up with something from scratch - most often they use information already available, simply exaggerate the significance of some facts or distort information. Sometimes, after analyzing some rumors, you can find out interesting information.
Gossipers can be useful for those who want to get attention quickly and easily. Such people will "promote" you for free and professionally: in a few days many acquaintances will talk and think about you, will be carried away by your life or a specific situation. This can be used for your own purposes: for example, when you need to make someone jealous or when you want to hint to your boss about your merits and success in work. By changing your attitude towards gossips in this way, you can use rumors to your advantage and even enjoy talking to people who spread them.
