"If YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT ANYONE.....COME SIT BY
ME."
ALICE ROOSEVELT LONGWORTH
Gossip. Webster defines gossip as, “Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational or intimate nature. Trivial, chatty talk or writing.”
Venting about a person that has upset you is the same as gossiping. You are telling your perspective of an event as the truth. When the other person does not have the opportunity to defend or explain their actions, a person’s venting can become, in the eyes of all who that person has vented to, the truth about the vent-ee. It can ruin their reputation. Then the next time you mention that person, even if you had long made up and resolved your issues, the other person you're talking to just says, "Oh. That's the guy who borrows money and never gives it back."
There is an appropriate time and place to vent, if you must. Never vent to those who are deeply involved with you and the vent-ee. This forces that person to feel they must choose a side. And NEVER, under any circumstance, vent on the World Wide Web. What you say on the web is governed by the same laws as what you print about someone in the newspaper. If I know who you are, then I can probably figure out who you’re talking about.
If you must vent, there is an appropiate time and place. You can vent to acquaintances who do not know that person, just say, “I am venting.” Most people who know you know when you are letting off steam and they normally take what you say with a grain of salt. No harm done.
While you are talking about someone in a disgraceful manor, remember, they may have a million and one things they could say about you, too. It's a vicious cycle and can ruin relationships. No one is without fault and no one is always right. Always examine your motives for venting. More often than not, what you are telling everyone that you're upset about is not the core issue, anyway.
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