Dear Edi,
What should you do when a rumor starts about you and you don’t know how it even started?
– CENTER OF UNWANTED ATTENTION
Dear Center of Unwanted Attention,
Rumors come and go everyday in schools all over the world, big or small, private or public, and unfortunately, they have yet to be prevented. Despite the hurt feelings and suffering of others, there is always going to be that certain group of people that need the satisfaction of putting others down to make themselves feel high and mighty.
When you become the victim of a horrifying rumor you know nothing about, the first thing you must always remember is that whoever it is that started the gossip is, in reality, the pathetic person in the situation.
Therefore, this gives you the perfect opportunity to be the bigger person. Although you have every right to be upset, it is not worth your time to overreact.
The easiest solution? Deny. Deny. Deny. It really is as simple as it sounds. All you must do is casually act as if you have no idea what people are talking about when they confront you or simply laugh it off like nothing is wrong or out of the ordinary.
The worst thing you could possibly do is give in to the drama the creator is striving to develop. The people who really care about you will give you their full support to help get you through the lies, and if you show it bothers you, you only encourage whoever it was who was trying to hurt you.
On the bright side, a new rumor is almost guaranteed each day. Before you know it, you’ll be old news and a new victim will be targeted.
Always remember: sticks and stones may break your bones, but you can’t always let words hurt you. Especially ones that aren’t true.