Was there ever a time when either at work or school you heard some really juicy gossip about someone? Did you ever spread this speculation to others? Or, were you the target of these rumors?
Usually, when you are on the receiving end of rumors, it’s not a great feeling. You feel violated and you begin to distrust the people around you because you never know if that person is the one spreading your private information. Whether or not the information is true, it’s never fun to be the center of attention by way of gossip.
In the July issue of Vanity Fair, there is an article regarding an alleged relationship between former President Bill Clinton and actress Gina Gershon. In the article, it is speculated that Clinton was “seeing a lot of women on the road”. The article, written by Todd Purdum, alleges that Clinton was in California visiting Gershon. Needless to say, they denied these accusations completely. Not really a good time to be in the spotlight of adultery while Mrs. Clinton is running for President.
Having rumors spread about you is not something that anyone likes to have happen. There are certain things that you can do to keep nosey people out of your business, but there are also things that you can do to prevent yourself from becoming the “news of the day.
The biggest thing of all would be to keep your personal affairs out of public view. If you are in a relationship with a co-worker, do not display that at work and keep things strictly professional…Or, just don’t date anyone from your workplace. Despite what some may say, there are jealous people wherever you go and if they see that you are dating someone that they like (or have pursued in the past), they will react negatively and may tell that other person untrue things about you.
Another thing is to not tell your personal business to anyone. If they are not directly involved in your affairs, keep your mouth shut. If you tell something that is just way too “juicy”…regardless of how tightlipped they may claim to be, they will tell somebody. This will expose you to having to deal with their personal opinions on the subject and even may have others bad-mouthing you and the choices you make. Not a good feeling at all.
One last thing you can do is become a loner…in other words, don’t get too wrapped up in being the buddy that everyone likes and can chat with. What happens in this situation is that you will become so comfortable with these people that you will naturally begin to tell them your business and not even think that what you say will be handed off to others.
I had a situation in the past where I was dating a guy from my job and was really close “friends” with other coworkers. Well, everything that came out of my mouth about my personal life or my kids was turned around into some drama that never really existed…this was done to try and intimidate this guy from wanting to date me. One another side of it, the guy came from a different department and apparently had a reputation for dating girls and being an extreme flirt…so immediately whenever he was seen with a girl it was assumed that they were sexually involved. Although that had not been the case with the two of us, I began hearing things about other girls he had sex with and all types of things I would have preferred not to hear. It began to have its toll on our relationship and soon after it was over. We remained friends but after time that fizzled as well.
Overall, just be mindful of who you talk with. Some people just want to get to know you to know your business and will not respect your privacy at all. There are some who may not even really know what’s going on, but just off of assumptions, will tell people things about you and not have a clue about anything that you do. Reputation is very important in life and it will follow you no matter how hard you try to run.
