Promise You Won't Tell Anyone...

As usual, I've been reading through my daily celebrity gossip columns. Over the past two days, there has been much scandal involving Lindsay Lohan. She denied entrance to her MTV Movie Awards party to Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, due to speculation of Ashlee hooking up with Wilmer Valderrama, Lindsay's ex. Then Miss Lohan said in an interview that she didn't want to be known as some crazy Tara Reid-esque party girl.

Oh boy.

While these items of juicy gossip don't directly involve me, I couldn't help but think about why people love to gossip. I mean, we all know it's wrong, but it seems to me I've never come across one person who didn't love to be told some good dish.

This doesn't mean that I go around talking about everyone's business. I don't feel the need to share the juicy details with everyone, but boy do I love knowing it myself! For those of us that read the gossip magazines (and yes, Us Weekly and People count), we have to know that we get some joy out of knowing about rumors and scandals.

I have come to the conclusion that people enjoy knowing all kinds of information because we like to be "in the know." We like to feel we are important and therefore, should be privy to the latest information.

So, yeah, it's obviously wrong to gossip, but where does it cross the line from talking to gossip? People have varied beliefs about this. Some people won't say a word about another person unless it's nice, like my grandmother. Some people will chat with their close family and girlfriends, but not in a malicious way. Some people will tell it all!

If you're worried about someone's behavior and are discussing that with someone, I don't consider that gossip. Say a friend has an eating disorder; that must be talked about in order to get the person proper help and hold a possible intervention. However, say you had a friend that just found out her one-night stand has caused a pregnancy. Yes, she will eventually show, but it's wrong to share that with people. Why? Because that's malicious and will cause others to look at her differently. She may decide to go stay with a relative and give the baby up for adoption and it would be wrong to share her deep, dark secret with the world.

If a friend confides something in me, I will keep their secret. After all, it takes a friend to be one. We've all had friends tell something about us we didn't want others to know. And, boy, does that sting. I still remember the whole school finding out about a crush I had on a boy in the 9th grade, all because my friend couldn't keep her mouth shut. I still remember the date she told everyone! September 2. See what a big impact a betrayed confidence can have? I still remember the embarassment and betrayal I felt. And I know if I tell something I'm not supposed to, I can hurt someone the same way. I sure wouldn't want to do that.

It's not always easy to know when to keep your mouth shut, but there's this nagging little feeling in our stomachs called a conscience. The easiest rule I have found is if I can feel it tugging at me, I know I should take a deep breath, keep quiet and go read Us Weekly.