Yes, I always thought I didn't gossip too ... Until I realised I did. I also thought I was good at defending people in conversations where groups of people start miaowing about someone because I felt I could still see the good in them or i could show compassion. But both of these things are me making ego judgements and also expressing them to third parties and there's rarely any usefulness in that. It often ends up in me being pious too.
But with all this analysis I end up stuck in a conversation with someone or a group of people and I can't think of a single thing to say, lest it be either from a negative place or to going to a bad place! And walking away mid flow isn't generally accepted
But then, its a skill of interaction that I can develop I've no doubt. The most important thing in the long run is indeed honest motives, however that comes across sometimes.