Jeffrey Zaslow of the Wall Street Journal in the January 6th paper wrote about the harmful effects of gossip. Many people feel gossip is the bread and butter of the WJS but let’s not lose our focus. Everyone knows the harmful effects occur in every context from family to school yard to workplace to politics. Gossip poisons the system. Gossip poisons the victims and those who keep it going. Remember the war slogan, “Loose lips might sink ships.”
There is a clear relationship between gossip and charity. Charity is too difficult to fully describe but we know that it is personal and private. Like being in love, it is sometimes easy and sometimes impossible not to hate. We can be mean for the visceral joy of it. When we have been mean we know, if we were forced to admit it, that it is not good for us now or in the future. Being mean sours and shortens life.
The solution is not in trying to be a better person, really no one wants that kind of radical change. What we want is a good version of ourselves. Our clothes will still fit. The dry martini will still be a wonder of civilization. You can still be assertively successful or whatever you want to be. A good version of you is all your mother ever asked for.
You get there by duplicating the process of kidney dialysis. You apply the three filters ascribed against hateful gossip: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? You work those three filters into your thinking long enough to begin to feel a change. When you have lowered the level of salts and impurities in your system you will feel better about yourself, and feeling better about yourself is a positive prescription for being charitable.
Being charitable is putting tone and buff back in your life. Being charitable feels great. Your charity effort and bucks are always a bargain buy. Your stock picks should be so good. Charles Marlin
