"Nothing should be said to lessen the good name of others, or to complain about them," St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, advised his followers.
Obviously, he was setting the bar plenty high. And some of us might wonder if we would be doomed to a life of silence if we and all our friends consistently followed this advice.
After all, we know that a little complaining can even be therapeutic -- especially if we choose our listeners carefully, confident in their compassion and discretion. But complaining about and disparaging others can also become a habit -- a lens through which we unne...
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