Gossiping & Apple Pie

nk">gossips to you will gossip about you." All of the high
Benjamin Franklin said, “I resolve to speak ill of noroad wisdom not withstanding, don't forget what
man whatever, not even in a matter of truth…;”Wendell Phillips knew to be true, "The Puritan's idea
and Carl Sagan said, "If you want to make an appleof hell is a place where everybody has to mind his
pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."own business."
You may reasonably ask what Gossiping & Apple PieAn Apple Pie From Scratch
have to do with each other. Whether this article"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you
answers that pressing question is your call. However,must first create the universe." -- Carl Sagan
it does raise some interesting points, even if theNow there is a humbling thought. It does tend to put
connection is less than obvious.a damper on one's ego quotient, doesn't it? Invention
"I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not evenand creation are far less original than they are
in a matter of truth; but rather by some meanstypically represented as being. Alexander Graham Bell
excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, andcertainly understood this, "Great discoveries and
upon proper occasions speak all the good I know ofimprovements invariably involve the cooperation of
everybody." -- Benjamin Franklinmany minds. I may be given credit for having blazed
Do you really believe that Franklin didn't get into athe trail but when I look at the subsequent
little gossiping now and then? Well, he actually onlydevelopments I feel the credit is due to others
resolved to stick to the high road. He didn't promiserather than to myself." Henry Ford got it too, "I
to do it. That's just as well, since he didn't have muchinvented nothing new. I simply combined the
trust in anyone. For example, he said, "If you wouldinventions of others into a car."
keep your secret from an enemy, tell it not to aRalph Waldo Emerson explained how invention and
friend;" and "Three may keep a secret, if two ofcreation actually work, "Only an inventor knows how
them are dead." It's little wonder that he liked to playto borrow, and every man is or should be an
it close to the vest when it came to other people.inventor." The essence of the principle was captured
Speaking ill of no man, excusing faults, and speakingby Auguste Rodin, "I invent nothing. I rediscover;"
all the good he knew was a very clever way toand what may rank as the first corollary was
avoid becoming the focus of others' gossip. Franklinsuggested by Jonathan Swift, "Discovery consists of
may have picked up the strategy from Virgil whoseeing what everybody has seen and thinking what
said, "Fama, malum quo non aliud velocius ullum,nobody else has thought." The converse of Swift's
mobilitate viget, viresque acquirit eundo." If you are acorollary was offered by the famous Anon., "Don't
tad rusty with your Latin, that means, "Report, thatexpect anything original from an echo."
which no evil thing of any kind is more swift,The take home point is that inventions, creations,
increases with travel and gains strength by itsand discoveries aren't themselves unique or original.
progress."They are merely the objects or outcomes. Creation
With authorities the like of Virgil and Franklinis in thinking what nobody else has thought.
admonishing you not to gossip, it's in your interest toRobertson Davies said, "Although there may be
know as much as you can about gossiping andnothing new under the sun, what is old is new to us
gossips. For instance, Walter Winchell clarified one ofand so rich and astonishing that we never tire of it. If
the gossip's core strategies when he said, "Gossip iswe do tire of it, if we lose our curiosity, we have
the art of saying nothing in a way that leaveslost something of infinite value, because to a high
practically nothing unsaid." The super stars pursuedegree it is curiosity that gives meaning and savor to
their art through inference and innuendo, not facts orlife." Curiosity ignites imagination; and imagination in
plain talk. Bertrand Russell added his two cents worthturn fuels the fire of creation. What then is this fire,
with, "No one gossips about other people's secretthis imagination? Peter Nivio Zarlenga's words hold the
virtues." When it comes to gossiping, if you don'tanswer, "I am imagination. I can see what the eyes
have something good to say, it's your turn.cannot see. I can hear what the ears cannot hear. I
Of course, Virgil and Franklin aren't the only high roadcan feel what the heart cannot feel." Dr. Seuss'
folks who advised against gossiping. Edward Wallisadvice is a fitting, concluding message for all who
Hoch said, "There is so much good in the worst ofcreate, from universes to apple pies. "Think left and
us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardlythink right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks
becomes any of us to talk about the rest of us." Ifyou can think up if only you try!"
that weren't the final word on it, a Jewish proverbYou may now be asking what Gossiping & Apple Pie
says, "What you don't see with your eyes, don'thave to do with each other. Actually, I doubt that
witness with your mouth." No, that's still not the endthey have anything to do with each other; but
of the unsolicited advice. A Chinese proverb says,perhaps you will see a connection, if only you Think
"What is told in the ear of a man is often heard 100left and think right and think low and think high. It's
miles away;" and a Spanish proverb says, "Whoevermerely your opportunity to pursue.