Going home to your mum and telling her about the rumours or nasty tale had been spun about you at school was the worst feeling ever as a kid. Her guaranteed response? Don’t entertain it with any reaction.
I personally have found it a little easier as I age, mostly because my mother trained my sister and I to be as guarded as possible. Conversely, as we get older it does get trickier to avoid the possibility of being exposed to the rumours; mostly because people are prone to a bit of gossip, especially if you’re the new girl on the scene.Work places are the worst (and trust me, men are as bad as women when it comes to tattle-tales) so it may seem that no one is really safe from a wee white lie.However, there’s loads of ways to effectively get around these rumours without seeming like a doormat or an ice-queen.
Keep Your Cool
If you know that there’s a tale floating around about you or a colleague, don’t play dumb about it. The more you find out about the rumour, the more it might actually hurt you and make things worse. Stick your chin in the air in defiance to their chat and reply “oh yeah, heard that one kicking about.” If you overreact or show that you’re hurt, then it will most likely cause people to believe it was indeed true.*cue Elsa: “CONCEAL, DON’T FEEL, DON’T LET IT SHOWWWWW!”And yeah, then let it go.As good of an idea as it seems when you argue with your mum or sister, don’t fight fire with fire in this case. It literally does end in tears.
Apparently we all grow up, but some people seem to just grow older with the same mentalities as that seven-year-old bully we all did our best to avoid. The best anyone can do when stuck in the woven trap of the dreaded rumour mill is to hold your head high, be cool and find the source. Confront them in a mature way, preferably on neutral territory, try to make them understand that they have hurt you and then walk away. You aren’t; unfortunately, guaranteed an apology, however much you might want or deserve one, so try not to force one out of the person you’re confronting. Take the situation into your hands in a way that no-one really suffers nor benefits from the situation. Throwing a fit and stamping your feet won’t get you anywhere, just try your best to keep it together and stand your ground.
People can be mean. No age or job title can sort that unfortunately, but there are ways and means to be the bigger and cooler person.People spread rumours to make themselves seem better than the person they’re bitching about. They never do in the end though, so remember that!
And most importantly, be Beyonce. Always.