GossipGossip, as defined by Webster's New World Dictionary, is "one who idly gossips about others." I believe that gossiping is ethically wrong. Gossip is usually done by talking about people behind their backs, which is very painful for the person being talked about. Nobody wants to be talked about, whether the information is true or not. People who gossip often feel they are doing it to improve themselves and get caught in the trap of trying to make themselves feel better by humiliating others. Is this true, or are they, in fact, harming themselves? Gossip does not do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. While a person may think they are gaining something by gossiping, it can often hurt. An example of this would be when an employee gossips about a coworker. In this way, he loses credibility in front of his employer and his colleagues. Gossip is widespread in the newspaper industry. You might say that magazines like the National Enquirer and the Star, which specialize in gossip, are doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. They create jobs and entertain many, but they also harm large numbers of people. They tell exaggerated truths and outright lies about innocent people. Subscribers to these magazines are given a distorted view of reality, and some may even begin to believe this view. The same thing can happen to the magazine journalist, thus damaging him too. Unfortunately, we have all been guilty of gossip at one time or another and we have all also been victims of it. I think there are three possible responses when we encounter gossip. We could speak up and tell the person kindly but firmly that gossip is harmful and that no one benefits from it. We could turn the conversation around by saying something nice about the person we're talking about. Alternatively, we could walk away and not be part of the problem, just listening. Gossip is wrong and we should stand by our beliefs. No one is helped by gossip and anything that hurts someone else is wrong.