We just finished "Introduction to the Devout Life" by St. Francis de Sales in our  religion class with  Bishop Giles.  No matter if the book is on Kindle or a hard copy, I usually highlight the pertinent parts that mean something to me.  So in keeping with my previous post about Brother Anthony's sermon, here are some of my highlighted notes in regard to hasty judgments, slander and other counsels as to conversation:

"Of a truth, hasty judgments are most displeasing to God, and men's judgments are hasty, because we are not judges on of another, and by judging we usurp Our Lord's own office."

"But alas! for the most part we precisely reverse these precepts, judging our neighbor, which is forbidden on all sides, while rarely judging ourselves, as we are told to do." 

"...those who drink deep of pride, envy, ambition, hatred, will see harm and shame in every one they look upon."

"If your affections are warm and tender, your judgment will not be harsh; if they are loving, your judgment will be the same.......And so ought we always to judge our neighbor as charitable as may be; and if his actions are many-sided, we should accept the best."

"And so when we cannot find any excuse for sin, let us at least claim what compassion we may for it, and impute it to the least damaging motives we can find, as ignorance or infirmity.....Rash judgment always presupposes something that is not clear, in spite of which we condemn another."

"If an action is in itself indifferent, it is a rash suspicion to imagine that it means evil, unless there is strong circumstantial evidence to prove such to be the case."

ON SLANDER:   "....of all worldly possessions the most precious is a good name"

"My daughter, I entreat you never speak evil of any, either directly or indirectly; beware of ever unjustly imputing sins or faults to your neighbor, of needlessly disclosing his real faults, of exaggerating such as are overt, of attributing wrong motives to good actions, of denying the good that you know to exist in another, of maliciously concealing it. or depreciating it in conversation."

"Witty slander is the most mischievous of all....."

"If God's Mercy is so great, that one single moment is sufficient for it to justify and save a man, what assurance have we that he who yesterday was a sinner is the same today?......we must never, in our wish to shun slander, foster or flatter vice in others; but we must call evil evil, and sin sin, and so doing we shall serve God's Glory......"

"We gain nothing by sharpness or petulance"....An excessive reserve and stiffness, which stands aloof from familiar friendly conversation, is untrusting and implies a certain sort of contemptuous pride; while an incessant chatter and babble , leaving no opportunity for others to put in their word, is frivolous and troublesome.....