Other academics also question the potency, and even the legitimacy, of the kind/true/necessary mantra. Efforts to stifle gossip may be naive and limiting, says Susan Hafen, a professor of communication at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. In her research, she has found that workplace gossip often serves a positive function. For instance, it helps people conform: When we gossip about someone who got fired, we learn what happens to people who break the rules.
不过，也有一些学者质疑善意/真实/必要三原则的有效性甚至合理性。犹他州Ogden市韦伯州立大学(Weber State University)传媒学教授苏珊•哈芬(Susan Hafen)说，抑制流言蜚语的努力似乎有些天真和片面。她在研究中发现，工作场所的流言蜚语往往能起到一定的正面作用。比如说，它能让人检点自己的行为。当人们闲扯某人被开除的事情时，能从中了解不守规矩带来的恶果。
　　
At the same time, gossip is a social interaction. 'Is it kind? Is it necessary? Those are good questions,' says Dr. Hafen. 'But it would be a boring world if we always had to tiptoe around, being kind. For one thing, we wouldn't be able to tell any jokes.'
此外，说闲话也是一种社交活动。哈芬说，这么说是善意的吗？真实吗？有必要吗？你可以问这三个问题，但如果大家都小心翼翼地当好人，这个世界就会变得很无聊。至少有一点可以肯定，我们没办法开玩笑了。

More seriously, she says, prohibiting gossip that isn't 'kind' may be a way of 'avoiding unpleasantness, of fence-sitting, of not rocking the boat. If we only tell kind stories about people, then we may be avoiding holding people responsible for their actions.'
哈芬表示，更严重的是，禁止说伤人的闲话也许可以避免伤感情，算是一种谁都不得罪的骑 方式，也不会破坏团结，但如果只说别人的好话，可能就是在回避让人们为自己的行为承担责任。
　　
Concert flutist Linda Chatterton acknowledges this argument, but says she sees only positives in embracing the concept of kind/true/necessary in both her personal and professional life. She teaches flute students near her home in Minneapolis, and when she has to criticize their performances, she tries to be mindful of her own motivation.
一个交响乐团的长笛演奏者琳达•查特顿(Linda Chatterton)同意这个说法，但也表示，在自己的个人和职业生活中，她只看到了坚持善意/真实/必要三原则所带来的好处。她在明尼苏达州明尼阿波利斯市(Minneapolis)的住所附近教学生吹长笛，当她不得不批评学生的吹奏水平时，会尽量注意批评的动机。
　　
'A lot of professional musicians haven't had great teachers,' she says. 'I want to make sure that I'm being helpful and supportive, while giving honest feedback.' In certain ways, she says, there's a link between gossiping and inappropriate teaching. 'When people gossip, they're jockeying for social position at the expense of those they're talking about. There are teachers who try to tear other people down in order to build themselves up. I try not to criticize unnecessarily just to make myself feel better.'
“很多职业音乐家没有遇到好的老师，”她说，“我想让自己成为一个能帮助和支持学生的人，同时能够诚实地向他们提出意见。”在某种程度上，说闲话和不正确的教育手段存在一定的联系。“人们在说人长短时，通过开别人玩笑来换取自己的社交地位，是一种损人利己的行为。有些老师批评和贬低学生，是为了抬高自己。我尽量不做那些没必要的、只让自己感觉良好的批评。”
　　
Some people say they supplement the kind/true/necessary questions with other 'filters': Is it hurtful? Is it fair? Is it useful? Is it harmless? Will it improve on the silence?
有些人表示，除了善意/真实/必要三原则外，他们还问自己其他一些问题：这么说是否伤人？是否公平？有没有用？有没有恶意？保持沉默是不是更好？

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