Everyone does it. Though you have heard it's the wrong thing to do, yet I recommend it highly. Go ahead and talk behind people's back. But.... say only good things about them.
Don't wait for a person to die before speaking good about him. It is better to recognize the goodness in others while they are living. You always have a choice of speaking ill of someone or saying something nice about him. When you recognize the goodness in others, you become a little bit better yourself. And there is no guilt feeling afterwards.
Think how life would change if everyone chose to see only the good in others! Conversations would sound very different: "Oh, I don't know what she thinks of herself. As for me, I think she is a great cook and a very talented singer. Not only that, I hear that she volunteers her afternoons in the soup kitchen." At the water cooler, coworkers are talking about their boss: "He pushes us too much, but not more than he pushes himself. He is such a perfectionist, and that's why our division is number one." Two girls are talking about their mothers, "Can you believe what my mother did!" "No, what?" "She cooked my favorite food today, and hugged me tightly. She loves me so much." The other says, "Well, what can I say about my mom! She actually cares enough about me to say 'no' to me. I just can't believe how much she does for the whole family."
I know what you are thinking. It's not possible that everyone will start saying only good things about others. You are right. But what about you? You can start, can't you?
