# When should you talk about a person's suspect behavior? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 7, 2024, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-you-talk-about-a-persons-suspect-behavior/1003822 "2024-07-07T01:00:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jebbilene](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jebbilene/32/3414_2.png) [@Jebbilene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jebbilene)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-you-talk-about-a-persons-suspect-behavior/1003822/41 "2024-08-16T01:46:03Z")
I think this might be based on Buddhist scripture, e.g.: > [@Aṅguttara Nikāya 5:198](#): > > Mendicants, speech that has five factors is well spoken, not poorly spoken. It’s blameless and is not criticized by sensible people. What five? It is speech that is timely, true, gentle, beneficial, and loving. > > Speech with these five factors is well spoken, not poorly spoken. It’s blameless and is not criticized by sensible people. The idea is to practise ‘right speech’ as part of the Noble Eightfold Path to enlightenment, but I think it has been adapted to Western culture the way Buddhist tenets sometimes are. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-you-talk-about-a-persons-suspect-behavior/1003822/42 "2024-08-16T17:36:41Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > apparently Socrates never said it We don’t actually know what Socrates did or didn’t say. What we know is what Plato (or mostly Plato) reported that he said. [/nitpick] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-you-talk-about-a-persons-suspect-behavior/1003822.md?page=2)