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Ethics

People often pride themselves and rate others highly for "never having a bad word to say about anyone". But is someone who never has a bad word to say about anyone doing right? Is it not sometimes necessary to say a bad word, e.g., as in advising that someone has a bad temper, is untrustworthy, etc.
Accepted:
July 21, 2009

Comments

Peter Smith
July 21, 2009 (changed July 21, 2009) Permalink

Yes. When the occasion calls for it, not having a bad word for bad people is just moral cowardice.

Which isn't to say that you should be quick to judge, ready to put the worst construal on things or to spread the word about someone's shortcomings, let alone happy to indulge in malicious gossip. But those are faults many of us are all too prone to! And what is praiseworthy is lacking those faults, a disposition of character we respectfully but exaggeratedly describe as "never [but we really mean, never inappropriately] having a bad word to say".

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