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About this quote

What does it mean?
Officials make decisions secretly without clear reasons, revealed only privately.
In plain terms
Leaders decide things in ways they do not explain to anyone.
What can you take from it?
Expect government decisions to be opaque and hard to understand.

Where it applies

  • government work
  • historical research
  • organizational behavior

Putting it to work

  • policy analysis
  • investigative writing

Questions to consider

  • Why do leaders hide motives?
  • How do you trust opaque systems?

Another view

It ignores that some secrecy is necessary for security or diplomacy.

More from Rudyard Kipling

  1. Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

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  2. For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

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  3. Enough work to do, and strength enough to do the work.

    Permalink to quote #55

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