Will Durant spots something subtle here that moralists often miss: gossiping isn't merely about the target, but fundamentally about the speaker's hunger for status. When you demolish someone's character in conversation, you're not simply reporting facts—you're positioning yourself as superior, more discerning, less flawed. Notice that it's the *dishonesty* that troubles him, not just the unkindness. We pretend we're sharing necessary truths about others when we're actually constructing a flattering self-portrait through contrast. Watch it happen at any workplace: the person who becomes known for exposing colleagues' failings rarely gains the respect they crave; instead, people simply catalog them as someone unreliable to be around. The insight cuts because it suggests our gossip reveals not our judgment but our insecurity.