"He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool. When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise."
Why is it foolish to spread slander? Well I think in the long run it is more damaging to the slanderer than the one being slandered. The slanderer knows in his or her heart that they are doing wrong. And this weighs on the conscience and deep down inside they feel bad about themselves.
Additionally people will distance themselves from the slanderer. They know that they might one day be the focus of that persons poisonous tongue. This doesn't mean that they physically will avoid them - but they will emotionally distance themselves as a means of protection. This means that the slanderer ends up with people around them who are distant and uninvolved.
Another message we can gain from this passage is that it's sometimes better to keep our mouths shut or what we are saying to a minimum. In emotionally charged situations we often say too much and just make things worse or have to apologize for something we shouldn't have said. Not only that, we don't learn much when we are talking - only when we are listening.
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