Women need to learn realistic ways to stop rumours about them. Many women at one point in their lives have experienced rumours spread around town about them. It is something as old as life itself.
There is a popular saying that reads: ”Rumours are started by haters, spread by fools and believed by idiots.”
But no matter how a rumour is started or who started it and their intentions, here are 10 ways women can stop rumours about them according to www.webmd.com.
1. Don’t play dumb
Don’t act like you have no idea about what people are saying about you. Acting clueless will only make people think the rumors are true. There’s no point in acting like you haven’t heard the rumors if everyone else in your school or workplace has. Acknowledging that you know a rumor is going around about you is the first step to tackling it.
2. Don’t let the rumours get to you
Avoid acting openly angry, upset, or hurt about the rumors. Even if they really were very mean and painful, if you let yourself get upset publicly, then you’ll be letting the other side win. If you really are upset about them, talking to some close friends will help much more than letting the world see you get upset. So keep a stiff upper lip, keep your head high, and don’t let them get to you. The other thing is, if you act very upset because of the rumors, everyone will be convinced that they are true.
3. Don’t fight fire with fire
Though it may be tempting to fight the rumor with a different rumor, you should take the high road and not fall into the low-life business of spreading rumors. Sure, you can spread a rumor about the person who started it, or spread a completely different rumor just to make people stop talking about you, but if you do this, chances are you’ll only make things worse and will look desperate and like you aren’t any better than the person or people who spread the rumor to begin with.
4. Talk to an authority figure if you have to
Sure, talking to an adult or your boss about vicious rumors may not be fun, but it can get the person who spread them in trouble and can make you feel better about the situation. You can also decide whether you need to talk to an authority figure or if you can handle it on your own.
5. Take Action by standing up for yourself
Don’t confuse taking a stand for integrity with being defensive. Find a platform where you can communicate your side of the story. Look people in the eye when you say that.Make sure your side of the story prevails. If people ask you about the rumor, you should stand up for yourself no matter what. If you brush it off or act like you don’t want to talk about it, then people will believe it’s true.
6. Determine what lends credibility to the rumour and stop it
People are more likely to tell rumors that are plausible, and that hinge on the existence of suggestive evidence. For instance, a rumor about a workplace affair will take off if the two people involved flirt in the office, or sit together every day at lunch. Once you determine what is feeding the rumor, take steps to remove it, if you can.
7. Prove that it’s not true if you can
If you have evidence that can prove that the rumor isn’t true, then you should put it forth. For example, if people are saying your boyfriend isn’t real, bring him to the next party. If you can produce a document that can prove the rumour false once and for all, don’t think it’s beneath your dignity to do so.
8. Broadcast the rumour
Yes, that’s right. Verbalize or post the rumor in a prominent way. By acknowledging the rumour, you are taking away some of its momentum. Rumors spread like wildfire because the people who spread them do so in order to gain social status, and that depends on them having the inside scoop. But if you broadcast their “inside information” then they won’t have any motivation to spread the rumour. Everybody will already know.
Right on time.