How gossip hurts friendship
Gossip can hurt your friendship in a number of ways. Some of these ways include:

• It will eventually get back to that person. The person who is being gossiped about will almost always hear that they are being talked about, and chances are they will also be told that it was you who was gossiping, if you were guilty of it.
• The friend will feel betrayed. If your friend has trusted you with a secret or with personal information, if they find out you have betrayed their trust and gossiped about it, they will feel betrayed by someone they thought was their friend. Once trust in any type of relationship is damaged, it is very difficult to get it back.
• They will be suspicious of you. If you have gossiped about a friend, they will be less likely to go to you in times of need for fear that you will tell others about their problems, or gossip about what you think their problems are caused by.
• You lose credibility with other friends. If you are gossiping to one friend about another, they will most likely think that if you are willing to gossip about another friend, then you will gossip about them as well. For that reason, they in turn will wonder what you're saying about them. They may also be less likely to tell you anything, even if you have never gossiped about them personally.
• The person you gossiped to may tell the person you are talking about. If you are gossiping about a person and spreading rumors or telling personal information to someone, they may very well go and tell the person you were talking about. This will create an instant conflict.

The following are some ways you can avoid getting caught up in gossip:

• Ask yourself why you gossip. Is it because you want attention? Are you using it as a way to bond with people? Gossiping often gives people a false sense of power. They may feel like they are "in the know" by gossiping, or think that people will be more likely to listen to them if they have "juicy gossip." Once you know why, you can start correcting the root of the problem.
• Change the subject. You can avoid getting caught up in gossip by changing the subject once it starts. Say something like, "I'd rather not talk about a situation I don't know anything about," and change the subject to something more positive.
• Act as if that person was standing right there. Before saying anything about someone else, ask yourself if you would feel comfortable knowing they could hear what you were saying, or if they were standing right beside you. If you wouldn't say it in front of them, don't say it at all.

Gossip can damage friendships in many ways and should be avoided.