DRMacIver's Notebook
Lashon Hara
Lashon Hara
This was a good Twitter thread:
People compliment me on my maturity in regards to how I engage with “twitter drama” and a lot of that is due to me refraining from Lashon Hara. So in this thread I’m gonna teach you about Lashon Hara and how, whether you’re Jewish or not, you can (and should) refrain from it too. Lashon Hara (lit. “Evil Tongue”) is to say negative things about someone, particularly about their misdeeds, which are completely true, but you’re not trying to accomplish anything useful by saying it.
The following point from the twitter thread was particularly interesting:
Why is it forbidden by Jewish law to spread Lashon Hara? Because historically we lived in small close-knit communities, and in order to function and coexist and be healthy, we need to know that it’s possible to atone for our misdeeds, be forgiven, and move on from it.
The wikipedia page on Lashon Hara is also good.
This makes me wonder whether there are other interesting social lessons to learn from Jewish culture. Wikipedia suggests the Chofetz Chaim might be a good source.