Talking behind someone's back is an attempt to damage someone else's reputation and take away their dignity. A significant difference Instead of joining in or even remaining silent the next time someone says anything humiliating or harmful about someone else, we might respond, "That must be incredibly hard for them." Or "I'm so sorry that happened to you." The aim of talking behind someone's back is to cause harm or distress. If you hear something bad said about someone, whether it be by a friend, relative, colleague or stranger, it's best to say something instead. Talking behind someone's back takes courage, but saying something positive about someone else will always be better for both you and the person you are speaking out against. People talk about others behind their backs for many different reasons. It may be because they feel embarrassed by what they have heard, so want to remove themselves from the situation as quickly as possible by spreading the news. Or perhaps they are angry with the person for saying something untrue about another individual. Yet despite these differences of reason, all people who talk behind one another are trying to put other people down and make them feel bad about themselves. If you hear someone mentioning something negative about another person, try not to worry about what was said. Instead, think about how you could help that person find success even though what was said about them. Only then will you be doing more good than harm by speaking up.