Re: noble vs. ignoble gossip, I have two big concerns.

1) This only considers the informative impact of gossip. In most cases, I think the role that gossip plays in bringing people and groups closer together is much more important.

Indeed, I think there is a category of what you’d call ignoble gossip but for low stakes that is very beneficial. This is the kind of gossip where you might share, “Did you hear that Brad and Samantha had a 3-way with Claire last night” where it’s shared by their common friends for the titalating or pure amusement value but it’s not the kind of thing that’s really going to harm their reputations. I mean it might embarrass them to hear you talking about their intimate affairs but no one’s reputation is being harmed.

Indeed, I think when we look back on our times with friends and share funny stories or bond over the good old days this kind of stuff is often at the center — even for the subjects of the gossip.

I fear lots of joy and utility would be lost if people tried to refrain from this kind of thing.

2) I don’t necessarily think that your Nobel/ignoble considerations really are all that informative about the value of the gossip to the community.

I mean if you’re trying to date someone, knowing that people are passing around gossip about all their sexual conquests can be useful and if you avoid that unless you are doing it for the right reasons with the right evidence you limit this information transmission.

Yes, you shouldn’t take it too seriously — ideally you don’t just turn them down you say I dunno I’ve heard that you’re quite the player or whatever — but I just don’t think we can infer value all that well from motives and evidence in spreading the gossip.

Perhaps the better rule is to make sure you downplay both the certainty and salaciousness — since my sense the biggest harms come from situations where these get amplified via telephone.