If gossip was a profession, most people would be very rich. There are people gifted in this art, honed by years of diligent and painstaking practice.
For a long time, it was considered a woman's thing, but men are slowly encroaching it, perhaps buoyed by the two-thirds gender rule.
This practice, however, is a negative thing in the society for many reasons. In gossip, the subject of discussion is always full of negative anecdotes. Rarely do you find people discussing the good things happening in another person’s life even if good things are actually happening.
These busybodies will have a lot of negativity about you. Gossips have investigative skills akin to those of the National Intelligence Services (NIS). They will know the woman who visited in the stillness of the night, but not the thief who roamed in broad daylight. Such is the level of their skills!
If you come across the blubber mouths, ask them point blank why they are telling you whatever negativity they have about someone. What are their intentions?
It should occur to you that this same person could be gossiping about you the same way he/she is talking ill of someone else who happens to be their friend.
The trick is to tell people who gossip, straight to their face that it is not a good thing. It may be hard but it has to be done. Nobody loves negative stories about them being peddled around.
If you must gossip, why not gossip about the positive things about someone?