Admit it: unless you're one of those sanctimonious types who refuses to engage in any conversation that teeters on personal speculation, gossip can be fun. Dishing the goods may be a no-no depending on your moral compass and what's being discussed, but if someone else is spilling the dirt, what's the harm?

No harm at all, until you find yourself in the middle of the dirtpile.

People end up as a celebrity du jour within their social circles or workplaces for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you made an offhand joke to a friend about how your spouse has a choice between dealing with your toddler's next tantrum or being served with divorce papers. Maybe you had a little too much to drink at the company picnic and professed your desire for the accounting guy with the weird toupee. Whatever the reason, unless you're an attention junkie, it can be downright unpleasant to find out that your personal life is a more popular topic than the top 10 Google searches combined.

Escaping the gossip vortex is neither simple nor easy. Paula Abdul's weird behavior on last night's American Idol may be worth a comment or two, but real-life drama is far more entertaining.

If you're generating more buzz than you ever wanted, consider the following strategies about how to ride out the gossip storm:

• Resist the temptation to set the record straight.

You're waffling about whether or not to call a divorce lawyer? Weird Toupee Guy has a cute smile if you take the time to make him laugh? You're in a tough spot because anything short of a firm denial is going to give gossipers more fuel for the fire. Choose wisely if you decide to confide in anyone about what's really going on.

• Carry on as normal.

Nothing takes the wind out of gossip like business as usual. No matter what people say to you, or how they treat you, follow your normal routines, habits, and behaviors. Regular life is ho-hum; anything out of the ordinary is what gets people talking.

• Don't deflect.

It can be tempting when someone's pointing the finger at you to redirect people to a new target, especially if your bull's eye has a related--but juicier--scandal to hide. It would be so easy to rat out the receptionist who actually slept with Weird Toupee Guy.

Don't do it. Regardless of what you believe about karma, your deflection target may make it a personal mission to bring you down. And even if they don't, you're going to have to live with the knowledge you unearthed someone's darkest secrets for all the world to see. Do you really want to be that kind of person?

• Use humor.

The more uptight you get about something, the more it can get blown out of proportion. People feed off of emotion and drama. If you can laugh off something, it makes it that much harder for others to turn it into a big deal.

• Know when to forgive and forget, or when to say goodbye.
  

Gossip is a strange animal. It straddles the line between normal human communication and malicious intentions. Sharing an innocent--and positive--opinion about someone could be considered gossip. So could sharing a completely false and hurtful opinion about someone. The only thing they have in common is that the subject of the discussion isn't there to explain their side of the story.

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if someone means harm in talking about you in your absence. Friends and colleagues may share information about you under the misguided assumption that it's common knowledge, or someone may let something slip by accident. Decide for yourself where you draw the line at normal social chatter and the point where you need to cut certain people out of your social network.