There are all sorts of people that feel pretty good about themselves, and will indicate, without hesitation, that they do not and have not ever stolen a single material thing from another person, and somewhat self-righteously feel pretty good about their character because of that. However, thievery comes in many guises, and one of those guises, perhaps unrecognized or unacknowledged by most people, is that gossip, itself, is a form of thievery. That is to say, while some gossip is rather trivial and sort of lame and serves to pass the time and fill up the emptiness of a conversation without meaning; there is, on the other hand, that other type of gossip, which may be basically truthful or may not be, but almost always is spoken in the way that the person being gossiped about is not present, and hence can offer no defense to their character or perspective of what has been said, so that typically this gossip is slanted and stated in such a manner, that the information so being imparted, is most definitely damaging to the character of the person being gossiped about.
Further to the point, the whole basis of gossip, is really to dish "dirt", and typically to dish dirt about someone that the parties so speaking are intimately familiar with, and done so in a manner, that each side can take turns kicking at the other party that isn't there, hence making those so gossiping feel their superiority over the other person, while also damaging the other person's reputation, directly or indirectly. For those, that are kind of confused as to what is fair information so imparted as compared to gossip, the dividing line is extremely easy to see, for if you can and are willing to repeat, literally word for word what you said about that person to that person that was the party of that gossip, without hesitation or equivocation, then in all probability, that wasn't gossip, but merely the expounding of fair information. Whereas, if you not only cannot repeat what has been said, or will definitely not under any circumstances repeat to the party in question those words, and further, do not want that person to even know that these words have been spoken, than that most definitely is gossip.
The thing about gossip is not only is it not fair, by definition, but it often doesn't serve any good or rightful purpose in being expressed. Additionally, for those on the receiving end of gossip, they always have the obligation, and perhaps the duty, to see that they do not add anything further to the gossip, as well as to not subsequently repeat the gossip to someone else, and at a minimum, are not accepting what has been said as the gospel truth, without in some way, directly or indirectly, allowing the other party to have their say, so as to get a better perspective on the whole affair.
The main thing about gossip, besides the fact that it unfairly attacks the reputation of another, is that, gossip on any level is not justice, for justice, in order to be justice, fairly hears both sides, and both sides are present during such a hearing; so that, those that gossip, want to tilt the scales of justice to favor whatever point or stabs that they wish to take at another so as to reduce the other person's status, and thereby to boast their own status. In short, gossip is unfairly stealing from another to diminish them, while simultaneously augmenting their self to look so much better in comparison.