LEV586 If one sees that a person has habituated himself to these bad middos, then rather than disparage him before others, he should rebuke him directly and explain to him the severity of the prohibitions involved. In doing so, he would fulfill the positive commandment of as it says הֹוכֵ֤חַ תֹּוכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃, “You shall surely rebuke your fellow, but do not bear a sin because of him [by shaming him]” (Vayikra 19:17) and might cause the person to admit that his behavior is wrong. Until then, however, the person presumably believes that his contact is correct, as that pasuk says כָּֽל־דֶּרֶךְ־אִ֭ישׁ יָשָׁ֣ר בְּעֵינָ֑יו, “Every person's conduct is straight in his eyes” (Mishlei 21:2). Therefore, it is forbidden to classify him as a rasha because of his behavior and go around disparaging him. Nevertheless, if one sees that a particular person displays a bad middah such as arrogance, anger, or the like; or if the person neglects Torah study, or engages in similarly inappropriate behavior; then it is proper to inform one's child or students of this and caution them not to associate with that person, so that they should not learn from his ways. This is permitted because the Torah’s prohibition of speaking lashon hora even when the information is true applies only if one's intent is to disparage the other person and derive pleasure from disgracing him. But if one's intent in speaking is to prevent another person from emulating the person's behavior, then it is obviously permitted to share the information, and doing so is also considered a mitzvah. However, it would seem that in such a case or in any similar scenario it is a mitzvah for the speaker to explain the reason that he is speaking negatively about the other person, so that his words do not cause the listener to mistakenly extend this heter and permit lashon hara that is unwarranted. By explaining the reason for his negative words, the speaker would also prevent the listener from being puzzled by the speaker's seemingly contradictory behavior. At times, the speaker tells him that it is forbidden to speak lashon hara even if the information is true--as we explain in section 9 that it is a great mitzvah to prevent one’s young children from violating this transgression--yet now he himself is speaking with lashon hara!