To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.

Durant’s aphorism treats gossip and disparagement as a form of moral self-advertising: by lowering others in conversation, the speaker tries to elevate their own standing without earning it. The “dishonest” element is twofold—first, it substitutes comparison for genuine achievement; second, it disguises self-praise as moral judgment or “just telling the truth.” The line fits Durant’s broader humanistic ethics, which emphasize character, intellectual honesty, and the social consequences of our habits of speech. It also implies a practical warning: communities corrode when status is pursued through contempt rather than through merit or generosity.