Rules - 2:4-6

4.  Be not too ready to believe everything you are told, & do not repeat everything you hear.  Otherwise, you will quickly lose your friend & gain an enemy.  If you thus hear a complaint against someone or other, be sure to investigate the circumstances & only then give your criticism or opinion.


5.  Confide to no one your personal secrets unless you have beforehand thoroughly proved him.  Here is a way to test him & learn to know him: confide to him some matter of small importance, & thus learn to know him without risking harm to yourself.  For if he keeps the secret to himself, it is an indication that he is to be trusted with confidences.  Nevertheless, don't tell your friend everything, for if you should chance to fall out with him (which can easily happen), he will use his knowledge to your harm.


6.  Do not speak evil of your friends.  Rather, speak well of them in all that is praiseworthy.  If they are at fault, keep it to yourself, for slander & scornful gossip are poison & a ruination to any friendship.


If you hear your neighbor's faults being criticized, search first your own heart before you join in.  Without doubt you will find that you have the same, if not greater, shortcomings.  Thus you will be moved to either better yourself or not speak evil of your neighbor, or belittle him.

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I decided to share three Rules this morning since they are relative to each other.  I've noticed that the Rules in Section Two do seem to center around communication, both sharing & receiving it.  Obviously the author(s) of Rules felt the rules of communication were important enough to merit a separate section all their own.  I have to agree   : )