Gossip

Post by **_Doctor Steuss** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:07 am

I think that the larger and more close-knit the community, the more likely gossip will occur.

If there’s only a small close-knit group, there’s no one to gossip to. If there is a large group that isn’t close-knit, then there’s no one to gossip about. But when the community is both close-knit and large, you then have the perfect (unfortunately) volatile mixture of people to both gossip to, and gossip about.

Post by **_Gadianton** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:09 am

Moniker,

Yes, that was the case. In a church where spiritual image and appearances are everything, the dirty deeds are that much more interesting.

Beastie,

When I was at BYU, there were drop boxes around campus where students could anonymously turn in each other, and were encouraged to do so, for honor code violations. Similar to measures taken in the Eastern Bloc.

By BYU and church standards, Judas was a hero.

Post by **_Moniker** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:09 am

Doctor Steuss wrote:I think that the larger and more close-knit the community, the more likely gossip will occur.

If there’s only a small close-knit group, there’s no one to gossip to. If there is a large group that isn’t close-knit, then there’s no one to gossip about. But when the community is both close-knit and large, you then have the perfect (unfortunately) volatile mixture of people to both gossip to, and gossip about.

Very interesting! Perhaps, that's why it seems so foreign to me? I've never been in that type of community before.

Post by **_Doctor Steuss** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:10 am

Gadianton wrote:[...]When I was at BYU, there were drop boxes around campus where students could anonymously turn in each other, and were encouraged to do so, for honor code violations. Similar to measures taken in the Eastern Bloc.

By BYU and church standards, Judas was a hero.

Say what!?!?! Doesn't turning someone else in anonymously violate the very concept of an honor code?

Post by **_charity** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:12 am

Gadiaton needed the sarcasm smiley.

Post by **_Zakuska** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:20 am

beastie wrote:In past periods of LDS history, members were encouraged to watch out for the behavior of other saints, and even report them to spiritual leaders if necessary.

I agree that gossip is part of human nature, and it doesn't take much to foster it. Gossip was always a problem in every LDS ward I've ever known. And the leaders sure do fuss about it enough to indicate it's probably a problem church-wide.

I remember as a youth giving a "fire and brimstone" talk a few weeks after some gossip had went around the ward about me and my friends.

Now... being in the ward council I see that it wasn't really gossip but our parents looking out for our well being and letting each other know about the misbehaviors of other youth.

Post by **_moksha** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:21 am

Gadianton wrote:It's more common among Mormons for a couple of reasons. First of all, given their limited entertainment, with bans on R-rated movies, plenty of PG-13 movies, and even the local gym, what else is there to do?

They can munch on milk and cookies at the Cougareat. Best to do that while gossiping though.

Post by **_Gadianton** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:49 am

I wish I were a better painter. If I were, I'd do a painting of a young lady carefully placing a folded note into a container. On her face would be an expression of, "I'm doing the right thing". Then in the distance a little, there would be another girl, holding her school books. She'd resemble the first girl quite a bit except there would be just a hint of difference, her clothes might be just a little tighter, she'd be painted with not quite the same glow, and perhaps she'd have a hairstyle. The painting would be called, "Friendship".

Post by **_Moniker** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:49 am

Gadianton wrote:I wish I were a better painter. If I were, I'd do a painting of a young lady carefully placing a folded note into a container. On her face would be an expression of, "I'm doing the right thing". Then in the distance a little, there would be another girl, holding her school books. She'd resemble the first girl quite a bit except there would be just a hint of difference, her clothes might be just a little tighter, she'd be painted with not quite the same glow, and perhaps she'd have a hairstyle. The painting would be called, "Friendship".

OH! HA! You don't have to paint it -- just saw it clearly in my mind! Genius!!!

_Yoda · Post by **_Yoda** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:53 pm

Mormons are very gossipy...but so are most Church groups. Like someone mentioned earlier, it's human nature.

What seems to happen in the Mormon Church is that it starts out innocently enough. Most of the time someone mentions something in an attempt to help someone who is having difficulty. Then, as is the usually the case, the more people that find out about something, the more distorted the facts become. Have you ever played the game where you sit in a circle and whisper something to the person next to you? By the time it gets all the way around the circle, the last person has said something completely different from what the first person said.

Actually, that is a great object lesson. I've used in a Young Women class to teach that it's important to avoid...you guessed it....gossip.

;)