Why Gossip Sells

TAZRIA-METZORAWhy Gossip SellsWhat makes gossip, or lashon hara so irresistible, to the point that, as the sages say, “it is impossible to be saved from it”?What’s the pleasure in Gossip? Why do we feel compelled to vent and share every flaw we discover in others?We must dive deeper and understand a revolutionary fact: lashon hara fulfills a psychological need.It is an essential tool for coping with self-criticism.Once we redefine lashon hara as meeting an emotional need, we can develop a new method to deal with this internal pressure.Man is a mirror, taught he Baal Shem, and when the reflected image is flawed, the problem is in the observer, not the mirror.Thus, when a person sees a flaw in another and makes a commotion about it, stirring everyone around over that flaw — it indicates that the problem lies within himself.If the flaw were not present in himself, he would address it quietly and productively. The fact that he focuses on the sickness and loudly defames others is primarily a reflection of his own inner issue.