We have all told little white lies from time to time. Little white lies, as the name implies, tend to be small and relatively harmless. In fact, we often tell little white lies to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. But what about the lies that are not so harmless?
This quote addresses the dangers of making up false statements. In this post, we will be defining a specific type of lie known as slander and listing ways to stop the spread of slander.
What is Slander?
Slander occurs when one person makes a false statement about another person to intentionally cause damage to their reputation.
Slander is a type of gossip that can have a severely negative impact on a person’s life. While normal gossip consists of rumors and talk of a person’s personal life, slander is spread with the intent of causing harm.
How Does Slander Hurt People?
Depending on the exact statement, slander can cause damage in different ways.
Pain and Suffering
First and foremost, when people spread false statements that harm your reputation, it is common to experience a significant increase in stress, which can contribute to other health concerns.
Professional Reputation
Slander can also damage a person’s professional reputation, which can cause them to lose their job or lose their chances of getting a promotion. In this way, spreading lies about a person can significantly alter their life.
Personal Reputation
Making up something regarding a person’s personal life can be just as devastating. This form of slander can cause someone to lose important relationships in their life and have a hard time making new relationships.
How to Prevent the Spread of Slander?
People gossip all the time, and a lot of gossip falls under the category of slander. If you find yourself in a situation where someone is spreading gossip or slander, there are a few things you can do to prevent damaging misinformation from spreading further.
Avoid Engaging in Gossip
One of the main reasons people gossip is because they like the attention they get when they gossip. You can avoid encouraging gossip by disengaging from the conversation when gossip is being spread. Act disinterested or leave the conversation. This shows the gossiper that you won’t tolerate this form of behavior.
Address the Gossiper
People who spread gossip to intentionally hurt other people tend to get away with it because no one calls them out on their lies. If you know that someone is spreading false information, take that person aside and tell them that what they are doing is wrong and can have serious consequences in the life of another person.
Defend the Person Being Targeted
When gossip is spread, the target of the gossip is typically not there to defend themselves. You can help stop the spread of gossip by saying something positive about that person. Meeting negativity with positivity can derail the conversation and see that person as a whole person, not just as the lie being spread.
Stop the Gossip Now
Gossip spreads through people. If someone shares gossip with you, you have the choice to continue spreading rumors or let them die with you. It can be very tempting to share gossip in conversations with other people, but you need to keep the consequences of slander in mind.
