Biosophilia

Maybe It's A Bunch of Blab

So I've been wondering lately- what is the difference in asking for advice and gossiping? I know the "real" difference- but it is awfully fuzzy. What do you do on those situations where you don't know what to do and you need to consult people you consider wiser than yourself for advice- but in order for the situation to be understood by your advisor, you have to go into a lot of details and tell them all the history. Then that person is stumped and they, because it is wise to ponder before advising, need to wait and check with someone before they tell you what they think. And so the story continues down the grape-vine and before you know it the whole town knows what's going on. So what's the real difference? How do you know the difference between someone really wanting your help on a matter and someone who just wants to vent their frustrations in a seemingly humble fashion? I would intially think that you would have to think about frequency- are they always "asking for advice"? But, then you have to factor in that sometimes people go through really hard times and you want to be there for them and try to help them sort through their problems. But then again, you could just be an accomplice to someone's complaining spirit. How do you even rebuke someone with confidence on something like this? Any thoughts?