Most of us have largely experienced the ill-effects of certain people who try to poison the ears of another against us. It concerns implying or speaking outright falsehoods against another person – it is an active attempt to put another person down instead of raising them up. It’s so common, it’s amazing how so many people get away with such disgusting lies, deviousness and disgraceful behaviour.

It can happen anywhere and everywhere – within families and especially at the work place between colleagues or by a colleague trying to gain favour of the boss (and an unfortunately effective way of doing so is to be the “spy” and use that sense of misguided importance to put other people down.) It is a regular occurrence and it happens much more often than we imagine – often without our knowledge.

The reasons for doing so are various and I will just cite a few of them here – it is typically due to spite, malice, intense jealousy, an idle mind and nothing short of an active attempt to slander and cast aspersions on another’s good character, especially when the opposite party is perceived as being a threat to another. The spiteful person who undertakes such “ear poisoning” sees himself/ herself as being inferior to the other person – such wicked deeds are ‘helpful’ to them for their own self-promotion and personal aggrandisement. It is also an ingenious method of deviating attention from oneself and a sneaky, sly and cunning way of pushing one’s own mistakes out of sight below a thick carpet of falsehoods. It could also very well be the case that the malicious person who undertakes poisoning of another’s ears feels that he/ she is far superior to the other individual and is not getting sufficiently praised or rewarded for his / her actions. The whole process is a huge subterfuge- whatever the reasons for it or whatever way one chooses to perceive it.

The why and how of it is not as important here as the fact that such behaviour is grossly wrong and downright wicked and evil – not only for the perpetrator of such actions but as much for the people who allow themselves to fall prey to such bullies and domineering people.

Poisoning the ears of another is a type of brainwashing technique – people who continually, day in and day out, get habituated to hearing a series of lies start to believe these falsehoods as being true. It’s a trick of the mind. Brainwashing works best on people who are perceived as being malleable and weak-minded. It is as effective with people who are in a position of power and importance. It has been used to great advantage by a whole lot of people to further their own hidden agenda and ulterior motives. It is one of the main reasons for the rise of terror groups around the globe and for the spread of extensive terrorism in the world.

You may or may not have fallen prey to “ear poisoning” or brainwashing but one thing never changes – THE TRUTH. There are always two sides to the same coin and when there’s a story- remember there are three versions to the same situation – your word; their word and lastly The Truth. The latter will always prevail no matter even if it takes many years for the truth to be revealed. People can believe what they want but no matter how much one twists and turns it, the truth will never change. It is one, thorough constant in a sea of lies.

With this last thought in mind, we must not forget that as human beings we were born to be rational and with a reasoning mind. Learn to make your own observations and make your own unbiased opinion and non-prejudicial judgment of another individual based on what you yourself observed, heard with your own ears and saw with your own eyes – is there anything preventing you from doing so? Tell me – frankly, is there anything really? Of course, there isn’t. Stop making excuses. Learn to be open-minded and more tolerant and accepting of your own and other people’s faults.

We are all fallible mortals, aren’t we? Why should anyone assume that he/she is above the other? Who are we to pass judgment on others? Don’t we all have our own faults too?

The world would become a better place to live in if each one of us thought and behaved likewise. Build a strong conscience of your own – know what is Right and recognise what is grossly Wrong. Just because the whole world does something, it doesn’t become right or acceptable.

Whatever happens, do what is Right and have the courage to abide by what you strongly believe in.

It’s the only way forward, believe me.