Life Desk :
For most people, it’s grist to the mill, sharing those salacious tidbits of information about people, overheard conversations and more. But gossip, seemingly harmless as it looks, can cause havoc between people, especially when it comes to good friends. Says designer Aditi Desai, “I was just lounging about with a friend at the club and we were discussing a few things when I brought up something about my neighbour. Little did I know that someone overheard us and told that lady; I felt quite ashamed at myself for having done that.”
According to psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria, “Quite often, when friends gossip lightly just as a stress buster, it is harmless in nature. But if what you are saying about someone hits below the belt, it can be harmful and thus the whole conversation becomes wrong. People don’t realise this, but idle talk can quickly spiral out of control and grow into a situation that gets sticky.
It can bring about ill-feeling, sour friendships and greatly harm a person’s self-esteem.”
When it works… For advertising executive Rina Shah, she found gossip to be a way to deal with her boss who was a pervert. After holing up about her feelings for long, Rina decided to rally around with her colleagues and speak her mind, only to find the others felt that way too. “When we had our gossip sessions I felt a little empowered,” she says. “We came up with a solution, which I could not have found on my own.”
Business firm head Nitin Rajouri also says he benefited from listening to a little gossip that his staffers were indulging in at his office one day. “I couldn’t help but hear them saying I was ‘mean and stringent’ with my office hours, especially during heavy rains. At first, I was aghast at their words but then realised as I had a packed schedule I hadn’t given much thought to the situation. I relaxed the rules that day on, and I guess it was a good thing that they had their chat.”
Research states that when gossip has a positive outcome and can cement relationships, it may be a good thing.
Gets you the pink slip! According to a report, an Australian workplace watchdog has reportedly warned employees against office gossip in the wake of a staffer being sacked for spreading rumours about her boss.
Former Global Cranes employee Kym Reedy passed on “salacious” rumours about her employer’s sex life and supposed drug use, according to a newspaper.
Men gossip too Contrary to belief, men gossip as much or sometimes more than women but will shy away from admitting that. They discuss everything from work dynamics, to personal quotients and daily stressors.
-ToI
For most people, it’s grist to the mill, sharing those salacious tidbits of information about people, overheard conversations and more. But gossip, seemingly harmless as it looks, can cause havoc between people, especially when it comes to good friends. Says designer Aditi Desai, “I was just lounging about with a friend at the club and we were discussing a few things when I brought up something about my neighbour. Little did I know that someone overheard us and told that lady; I felt quite ashamed at myself for having done that.”
According to psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria, “Quite often, when friends gossip lightly just as a stress buster, it is harmless in nature. But if what you are saying about someone hits below the belt, it can be harmful and thus the whole conversation becomes wrong. People don’t realise this, but idle talk can quickly spiral out of control and grow into a situation that gets sticky.
It can bring about ill-feeling, sour friendships and greatly harm a person’s self-esteem.”
When it works… For advertising executive Rina Shah, she found gossip to be a way to deal with her boss who was a pervert. After holing up about her feelings for long, Rina decided to rally around with her colleagues and speak her mind, only to find the others felt that way too. “When we had our gossip sessions I felt a little empowered,” she says. “We came up with a solution, which I could not have found on my own.”
Business firm head Nitin Rajouri also says he benefited from listening to a little gossip that his staffers were indulging in at his office one day. “I couldn’t help but hear them saying I was ‘mean and stringent’ with my office hours, especially during heavy rains. At first, I was aghast at their words but then realised as I had a packed schedule I hadn’t given much thought to the situation. I relaxed the rules that day on, and I guess it was a good thing that they had their chat.”
Research states that when gossip has a positive outcome and can cement relationships, it may be a good thing.
Gets you the pink slip! According to a report, an Australian workplace watchdog has reportedly warned employees against office gossip in the wake of a staffer being sacked for spreading rumours about her boss.
Former Global Cranes employee Kym Reedy passed on “salacious” rumours about her employer’s sex life and supposed drug use, according to a newspaper.
Men gossip too Contrary to belief, men gossip as much or sometimes more than women but will shy away from admitting that. They discuss everything from work dynamics, to personal quotients and daily stressors.
-ToI
