classwords

I would go even farther and say that gossiping with some people is more than a bad habit. It is an outright addiction, and people who listen to it without saying anything are enablers. Probably, the people who tell gossipers about their own lives are fully aware that that the information will be passed on to others as more gossip; they want to be gossiped about. This subtle kind of attention seeking, too, can be an addiction. None of this is too surprising, considering that a large portion of what passes for news and entertainment in the media is little more than gossip. I am not saying that I am above gossip, either, though it doesn't usually make me feel better about myself when I have lowered myself to participate in it. I'm sure I have even spread gossip, but I'm also sure that this is a weakness in myself. It makes you feel important to be in possession of information that others want to know and can get first from you. Gossip has a powerful allure and I'm sure that we could all be stronger people by reesisting it. I can't remember offhand if I have read any good fiction where a major character is a problem gossiper, but this seems like it would be good material for a story or novel.

i agree.