Right speech is one of the steps on the Buddhist 8-Fold Path to enlightenment. Right speech includes speaking gently, purposely, and truthfully. It means no lying, no harsh speech, no divisive speech, and no gossip or idle chatter.

“Lying leads to a life in which others will speak ill of you. Lying also establishes a tendency to lie in future lives, as well as the chances of being lied to and not being believed when you speak the truth. The future life consequences of Divisive Speech include loneliness and a tendency to make mischief with other people’s lives. Harsh Speech begets the abuse of others and leads to an angry attitude. Idle Gossip causes others not to listen and leads one to speak incessantly."

-- HH The Dalai Lama