Gossip is similar to infection, which is common in many groups. Some of them can be quite harmless, while others can ruin a person’s life. If unpleasant rumors spread about you, try to deal with this with minimal loss for yourself.
Instruction manual
one
Try to find out who became the author of the gossip about you, and think about why he did this. Perhaps inadvertently you offended this person, without knowing it yourself: they took away the project that he was counting on, got the position that he dreamed about, or just ate the last cookies from the shared kitchen. Understanding what triggered the gossip will allow you to less torment yourself with the question "why are they doing this to me." In addition, if you wish, you can try to make peace, for example, bringing a new box of cookies to the “victim”.
2
After hearing an incredible story about yourself, do not panic. Your violent emotional reaction will inflame the gossipers even more and will probably allow them to think that there is a great deal of truth in the story, if you react like that. If what is said strongly touches you, it is better to experience unpleasant emotions in solitude. Wash your face, catch your breath, be aware of what you heard and only then return to the team. People will not notice your confusion, and the next time you will be prepared and will not react so violently.
3
If you were told rumors about you, let your interlocutors understand that they are absurd. “It's nice to learn something new about yourself, ” “Well, it’s necessary, but it seemed to me that I had a rather boring beach vacation, ” “Did I sit this employee? I will know, otherwise they told me that he wrote a letter of resignation a month before I appeared in the company. " Be restrained, calm and friendly, and gossips will begin to doubt whether it makes sense to spend time and spread rumors about you that do not cause you any reaction, and they are not put out in the best light.
4
Bring gossip about you to the point of absurdity. If a colleague is inadvertently interested in, is it true that on vacation in an exotic country you had an affair with two representatives of the local population? Feel free to increase their number to a dozen, add camels and other domestic animals. At some point, the interlocutor will understand that you are mocking him, and he will have suspicions about the authenticity of the original hearing. And you will cheer yourself up.
5
There are many sayings about gossip and the people who appear in them. If rumors are circulating about you, remind yourself that their authors are likely to envy you, and your life is so interesting that others discuss it. This will allow you to increase your self-esteem and react less acutely to stories about you.