Evil Tongue

I read this this yesterday and it still haunts me...

"I'm curious about the spiritual concept of "evil tongue" (speaking evil of others) and its pervasiveness in our culture.  Why do people become energized when they say or read something negative about someone else?   What does it say about where that person is?  What are the consequences of perpetuating negativity or feeling schadenfreude? When a person does not feel good about himself or herself, they will look for ways to elevate their self-esteem, even momentarily.  By looking down at others or deriving glee at the misfortune of others, they feel a sense of lifting up their own self-view."