A short defence of gossip

It's the beginning of moral inquiry

I would not want to live in a society without gossip. Gossip is how we tell the truth. Most people, in social situations, are bad truth-tellers. Many nervous considerations stop us telling the truth in front of a group: you might not know how everyone will react; it might not be pertinent to them all, despite being salacious to them; you may feel awkward at the subject matter; it may rouse hostility; and so on.

But telling the truth is remarkably important. Imagine you consider going to work with someone, but they show signs of difficult behaviour. You will ask one or two people in private if your impression is correct. Is this person always like this? Do they get worse?

How ought these people to respond? Telling the truth is a moral good, and essential for true inquiry. But no-one wants (or says they want) to be a gossip. You may not consider this to be a paradigmatic case of gossip, but it is spreading unflattering information about a person behind their back:—Gossip often borders on a warning.