Rumors

Second hand information is a very tricky thing to deal with. I've always been a firm believer that you should never be one to take rumors as 100% fact, but they're always something that you should take into consideration. After all, they are always rooted somewhere within the realms of reality. However, you always need to remember that there is more often than not a reason that they pop up. No one shares information without a reason, without some sort of ulterior motive that will serve themselves in some way or another. Often people will peddle in rumors in order to take someone else down, or to make themselves look better, but sometimes also, there simply isn't a method to the madness. They just like to talk. Far too many people simply like to talk, but that doesn't mean you should simply brush everything off as hearsay. Rumors can quite possibly be true, and have many times been confirmed, but you should always be skeptical nonetheless. Rumors can be about pretty much anything, but from my own personal experience, they're most often about individuals or groups. And it's for that reason that one should always be mindful to first figure out why information is being shared with them before accepting what they're being told. Even grown adults are prone to pettiness, jealousy, and self serving underhandedness. However, sometimes when you're being cautioned about a certain person, someone is legitimately looking out for your own well being and is trying to help you. It's because of all of these factors that there are many points in life when we can really only trust our instincts when confronted with new information and use our intuition to make the best possible response with our words and actions concerning said information. I've found that caution is the best policy when dealing with hearsay. I've made a complete and utter fool out of myself countless times because I've acted impulsively on the basis of faulty intel, and even though I've sworn multiple times that I'd never make those mistakes again, I know I'm bound to at some point. All I can do is make the best effort that I can to use discretion with what I hear and act in accordance with my best guesses. Ultimately, rumors are unreliable. The best means of obtaining information, whether it be about a person, an event, a headline, or any particular situation, is your own eyes and ears. First hand observations have rarely led me astray so that's what I try to base my words and actions on. I'd advise that you do your best to do the same. Always remember, take rumors into consideration, but until you can confirm them for yourself, never treat them as though they are facts.