Some facts are each useful to only one person.

Our naivety has left us convinced that the people with whom we sometimes talk about other people behind their backs will never talk about us behind our backs.

Though people sort of need your permission to talk to you, they do not really need one to talk about you.

We call talking about other people’s personal lives ‘gossip’ only if we aren’t or weren’t part of the conversation.

We need not reply or even listen to people who are talking about—not to—us.

A rumor is usually a lie that the media can legally profit from.

Though you can get smart from reading everything that a smart person writes, you cannot get famous from reading about everything that a famous person does or is said to have done.

It is still gossip even if everything that is said is true.

You are definitely not famous if only less than a million sane people are interested in your sex life.