How often are out thoughts really just OUR thouhts, OUR very own decisions on topics? Because, really, our thoughts are in fact often influenced by the words and actions of others. For instance you hear a rumor spread about somebody and automatically you're paradigm about that person is altered, usually in a twisted fashion. Altered perceptions of people cause you to react differently to them, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on the change in how you see them.
This will hopefully urge you to think twice after hearing rumor and hearsay, so that your paradigm about people, places, or things, isn't twisted into something else in your mind. Try to think for yourself, and watchout for those little conversations or notes that lead you unwittingly to treat others unkindly...