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About this quote

What does it mean?
You cannot expect others to keep your secrets if you cannot keep your own.
In plain terms
You can't ask others to guard your secrets if you cannot guard your own.
What can you take from it?
Keep your own secrets before asking others to keep yours.

Where it applies

  • friendship
  • professional relationships
  • confidentiality

Putting it to work

  • practice discretion
  • respect privacy
  • build trust

Questions to consider

  • How do you handle information shared in confidence?
  • Do you trust yourself with sensitive information?

Another view

Some secrets are shared to test loyalty rather than for secrecy.

More from Francois de La Rochefoucauld

  1. C'est une espece de bonheur, de connaitre jusqu'a quel point on doit etre malheureux.

    Permalink to quote #106
  2. C'est une ennuyeuse maladie que de conserver sa sante par un trop grand regime.

    Permalink to quote #108
  3. Il ne sert a rien d'etre jeune sans etre belle, ni d'etre belle sans etre jeune.

    Permalink to quote #105

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