lesson learned

As hard as I try to be a good and loving person I still occasionally slip up and make mistakes. As luck would have it I always get caught. I said something that I should not have and it reared it ugly head back at me.

What I learned is:
Even though you are trying your best not to gossip... sometimes you are.
Even though you are not saying in the spirit of gossip... you are still gossiping.
Passing along anything that is negative about another human being is gossip.
The dictionary definition:
idle talk or rumor, esp. about the personal or private affairs of others
I find it interesting that the definition doesn't talk about malice or intent.
Even if you have good intentions if you are talking about the personal or private affairs of others... you are gossiping.
Even if you are just venting to a friend... you are gossiping.
Even if we call it something else like chit chat, venting, small talk... you are still gossiping. A rose by any other name is still a rose.
Here's a quote that I found interesting:
Gossip needn't be false to be evil - there's a lot of truth that shouldn't be passed around. ~Frank A. Clark

Words to live by!
I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody. ~Benjamin Franklin