Gossip has changed its style with time. It is in now wearing a brand-new digital dress. Long ago, it walked slowly from house to house. Later, it travelled by telephone. Today, it flies faster than light through social media, voice notes, screenshots and forwards. Truth still prefers walking, but gossip loves shortcuts.
There is a gentle and humorous story from the life of St Philip Neri that teaches us a powerful lesson. Once, a woman came to him for confession. With honesty, she said, “Father, I speak badly about others. I gossip.” St Philip did not scold her. Instead, with a smile, he gave her a strange task. “Take a pillow filled with feathers,” he said. “Go to a high place, cut it open, and let the feathers fly in the wind. Then come back to me.”
The woman was puzzled but obedient. She cut the pillow and the wind joyfully carried the feathers everywhere—on rooftops, trees, streets, and faraway corners. Feeling she had completed her task, she returned. St Philip then said calmly, “Now go and collect all the feathers.”
The woman was shocked. “That is impossible! The wind has taken them everywhere. ”St Philip gently replied, “That is exactly what gossip does. Once spoken, it cannot be taken back. It spreads beyond our control and damages a person’s image forever.”
This story feels even more relevant today. We may not tear pillows, but we tear reputations. We may not scatter feathers, but we forward rumours. One careless message can hurt a person, break a family, or ruin years of hard-earned respect. The funny thing is, gossip often comes disguised as concern. “I am just telling you,” we say. Or, “Everyone knows about it.” But gossip does not become right just because it is common. As someone wisely said, “A rumour is carried by hate, spread by fear, and accepted by ignorance.”
Gossip gives temporary excitement, like fireworks—bright for a moment, dark after that. It never adds value to our life. Instead, it steals our peace, our credibility and our kindness. Slowly, it turns us into collectors of other people’s mistakes. St Philip Neri’s message is clear and timeless: Before you speak, pause. Ask yourself—will my words heal or hurt? If you are not ready to collect the feathers later, it is better not to release them at all.
In a noisy world, choosing silence with wisdom is an act of courage. Let our words be bridges, not weapons; blessings, not burdens. Because once the feathers are gone with the wind, no apology can bring them all.
