Gossip

[00:00:00] I was talking to someone today and they were asking me the details about a couple that we both know who aren't together anymore. And I had a realization which isn't anything novel, probably for most people, but for me, it was very clear on this point in a way that I guess it hadn't been before. And that was. First of all, I don't want to get involved in gossip. But the most important thing is I don't have all the details. I haven't talked to both people. I only have one perspective, which is not half of the story. It's not just that between two people, there's two perspectives. There's two perspectives plus the truth, which is usually, especially in relationship conflict, a combination of both people's perspectives. And then a lot of things that both of them either purposely overlook or simply leave out or subconsciously just miss or consciously miss. And so that doesn't become part of their story. But the truth is more than likely somewhere closer to the middle than it is to one side or the other. Not always, obviously, but I think it's a good general rule to follow when discussing other people's lives. And there's the. The quote that I really love. It's not a quote, but just the idea that small people talk about other people, average people talk about places and events and things, and exceptional people talk about ideas. And I want to be someone who is exceptional. I want to talk about ideas that can change the world and actions that we can take to move towards the culmination of those ideas that can change the world, the creation of those ideas, building those things. And so talking about other people and their problems is not something that, one, I even want to get involved in. But two, it doesn't do justice to the truth because I don't have half the picture. I don't even have a third of the real picture of what happened. So why would I waste my time telling other people 33% truth and 66% lie, especially when that 33% truth might not even be true. It's just one person's perspective of what happened. It's better to just not even get involved and leave it at, well, two people had problems, they're no longer together, and that's it. That's what I know. And that's really all that matters in understanding the story, right? So focus on ideas that can change the world. Focus on how to bring more positivity and constructivity to the world and leave the gossip behind. It's pointless. It doesn't build anyone up. It doesn't edify. It doesn't. It doesn't bring value to your life. More than likely it's going to be poison for whoever you're talking to about those other people behind their back, because you don't know the reality of what actually happened, and you never will because it's impossible unless you actually were there to understand the entirety of their relationship and the roots of the conflict and where it all came from and what happened. And none of us, even in our own relationships, often understand all of those things and that depth. How can we possibly understand what happened in other people's relationships if we're only getting just one side, one perspective of the whole story? Better to think about other things. So that's what I want to do, and that's what I'm doing. [00:03:19] So if you hear me gossiping ever, please call me out on it immediately. I'm not saying I'm perfect. I often talk about bureaucrats, for example, when I criticize them. And I talk shit about bureaucrats because I don't like bureaucracy at all. And so sometimes I will have something happen, and it's my perspective, and I'm recounting the story. And you know what? That's not really fair to that individual either, because I'm judging someone because of their position, because of their actions, probably. But I'm also judging them, unfortunately, on a deeper level that I shouldn't be. And so even if I'm bitching about bureaucrats, call me out on it. I don't want to gossip. I want to focus on positive bitch, big ideas that can change the world, like, and subscribe.