"Guess what I heard?" While this invitation to share may seem like innocent fun, it can precede the harmful habit of gossip. The Church has different names for this sin, including calumny and detraction.
Gossip comes in different forms. Every person has the right to a good name and reputation. Calumny occurs when another's reputation is damaged through lies, while detraction is someone revealing the hidden faults of another without an objectively good reason.
Gossiping doesn't just hurt the victim. Pope Francis recently said "........At the beginning, (Gossip) seems to be something enjoyable and fun, like a piece of candy. But at the end, it fills the heart with bitterness and also poisons us." Spreading negativity about others drags us down as well as those about whom we snipe.
Fight the Good Fight. While the damage gossip causes can't be undone, we can curb the habit by asking one simple question before we speak: "What will I accomplish by sharing this information?" If the answer is "no good," don't.
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