July 24th: Lowering the Percentage

Spam, or unwanted, unsolicited messages, makes up a full 89% of all Email content. Put another way, 9 out of 10 email messages are unwanted, unnecessary bits of electronic trash. That’s a lot of wasted effort. Of course, one of the reasons the percentage is so high is due to the fact that electronic messaging can be fully automated. Machines are tireless in their efforts and so are a perfect means of spreading garbage over the Internet and into our homes.
Now, most of us, whether we’re part of the world of email or not can take comfort in the fact that we do not distribute such useless stuff. Most of us honest folk don’t send out unwanted or unsolicited mail, whether it’s electronic or the old traditional letter, stamp and envelope kind. We’re just not those kind of people.
Or are we?
Before we pat ourselves on the back for not sending out junk mail, there’s something we need to ask ourselves. Have we ever talked about someone when they weren’t there? Don’t hide, I see you shuffling your feet way in the back over there! Have we ever passed along a bit of information that might or might not be entirely accurate, but is certainly juicy? Ah, I see you diverting your eyes! And, honestly, how many times have we shared a story that came to us from a reliable, but not really first-hand, source? Wow! There are a lot of red faces in the crowd now!
Truth is, we are all willing deliverers and recipients of vocal Spam, otherwise known as gossip. It’s human nature. We want to know about our neighbours and friends. We want to share what’s happening in our lives and the folks that make our lives interesting. We are communicators passing along tidbits that come to us. We just aren’t that discriminating or careful. And sometimes we aren’t too kind, either. It’s just human nature.
Of course, it’s also human nature to think about things. It’s human nature to love folks. It’s human nature to help strangers. It’s human nature to build one another up. These traits are the ones that make the difference between gossip and conversation. Thinking before we speak, offering only what is true and helpful, sharing only what we would have shared about ourselves and generally talking less and listening more are great ways to avoid speaking foolishly.
Of course, it’s your choice. Gossiping or telling the truth? Spreading Spam or saying something useful? Building up or tearing down? I don’t know what the statistics are for gossip in human conversation. One thing I do know, however: it’s up to us to decide to keep it down to less that 89% of the things we say. And if we get it right, we can bring that number down to zero.