Episode 31: Weaponized Gossip and the Danger of Indifference

Is gossip really harmless? Or is it one of the most destructive forces in how we remember—and forget—people?

In this episode, I explore how gossip, even about historical figures like John F. Kennedy or Dag Hammarskjöld, is not just idle chit-chat. It corrodes truth, dehumanizes its subjects, and conveniently protects those in power. Gossip doesn’t just distort; it overwhelms. And when people get weary of sorting through contradictory stories, they fall into indifference.

Drawing on Elie Wiesel’s powerful warning that indifference is more dangerous than anger and hatred and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, I unpack how gossip creates decision fatigue, numbs compassion, and erases memory. Indifference is never neutral—it’s always on the side of the aggressor.

Links:

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/mutiny-of-brando-1963.pdf

https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ewieselperilsofindifference.html

https://www.kennedysandking.com/john-f-kennedy-articles/241

Sara's award-winning biography of Dag can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Unicorn-New-Look-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-ebook/dp/B0DSCS5PZT

Her forthcoming project, Simply Dag, will release globally on July 29, 2026.

#Gossip #DagHammarskjöld #JFK #Indifference #Podcast #DecodingTheUnicorn