--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My guideline has always been to avoid a…" description: "\"My guideline has always been to avoid a focus on me personally. Not because of any deep, dark secrets. Rather just a sense of privacy.\" — Bill Gates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bill-gates-137_cybersecurity_my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a_2808780.jpg" --- # My guideline has always been to avoid a focus on me… ![“My guideline has always been to avoid a focus on me personally. Not because of any deep, dark secrets. Rather just a sense of privacy.” quote by Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bill-gates-137_cybersecurity_my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a_2808780.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bill-gates-137_cybersecurity_my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a_2808780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bill-gates-137_cybersecurity_my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a_2808780.jpg) > “My guideline has always been to avoid a focus on me personally. Not because of any deep, dark secrets. Rather just a sense of privacy.” [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prefers to keep personal matters private, emphasizing privacy over secrecy. **In simple terms:** He values privacy, not secrecy. Key Takeaway Protect personal privacy. Themes privacy boundaries public image Mood thoughtful neutral Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - social media presence - interview settings - personal branding Key Concepts personal data public speaking media relations Questions to Reflect On - How much personal detail is appropriate in public? - What boundaries protect you? A Different Perspective Too much privacy can hinder authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoid Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-focus-3504472/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-secrets/) [Deep dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-dark/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus on me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-on-me-65555/) [Focus Personally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-personally-3504471/) [Guideline Avoid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guideline-avoid-3504473/) [Guidelines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guidelines/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) ## Related quotes > [A good friend is someone we can count on, as well as being so much more. A friend is someone with whom we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-youngs/a-good-friend-is-someone-we-can-count-on-as-well-as-being-so-much/) [Jennifer Youngs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-youngs/) > [I have deep dark secrets no one will ever know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florah/i-have-deep-dark-secrets-no-one-will-ever-know/) [Florah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florah/) > [I didn't really give a sh\*\* what's going on in the rest of the world. I just didn't. I just wanted to focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-didn-t-really-give-a-sh-what-s-going-on-in-the-rest-of-the-world-i/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [The metal press has a certain type of audience, and I think most of them support the magazines' negative focus on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varg-vikernes/the-metal-press-has-a-certain-type-of-audience-and-i-think-most-of/) [Varg Vikernes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varg-vikernes/) > [Anytime I feel my feathers ruffle off of someone else's success, I have to check myself. It's normally fear based or ego related and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-budig/anytime-i-feel-my-feathers-ruffle-off-of-someone-else-s-success-i/) [Kathryn Budig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-budig/) > [You can focus on me or on any spiritual teacher. Spiritual teachers who have left the body, who are no longer on earth can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-focus-on-me-or-on-any-spiritual-teacher-spiritual-teachers/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think people have put too much focus on me. I don't think they realize the other weapons we have on this team. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-kaepernick/i-think-people-have-put-too-much-focus-on-me-i-don-t-think-they/) [Colin Kaepernick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-kaepernick/) > [What dark secrets do you keep hidden from the world? Where would you go if no one could find you? What would you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-dark-secrets-do-you-keep-hidden-from-the-world-where-would-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Id love to own Newstead, partly because it belonged to Lord Byron, but also to try to uncover what dark secrets really lie beneath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-maitland/id-love-to-own-newstead-partly-because-it-belonged-to-lord-byron-but/) [Karen Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-maitland/) > [I'm supposed to convince you, for two hours, that I'm somebody else. Now if you know everything about my life, if you think you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/i-m-supposed-to-convince-you-for-two-hours-that-i-m-somebody-else-now/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [The Sick Rose O Rose, thou art sick. The invisible worm That flies in the night In the howling storm Has found out thy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-sick-rose-o-rose-thou-art-sick-the-invisible-worm-that-flies-in/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The nature of Scandinavians is that they don't talk so much, there will be these dark secrets, and most things are under-communicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/the-nature-of-scandinavians-is-that-they-don-t-talk-so-much-there/) [Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/) > [“They all had them, dark secrets of the soul. The only way to deal with them was to live, and forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ashley/they-all-had-them-dark-secrets-of-the-soul-the-only-way-to-deal-with/) [Jennifer Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ashley/) > [“Every town has ‘THAT house’: the one that once held dark secrets. You know the house… the one no one will purchase? The one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-caskey/every-town-has-that-house-the-one-that-once-held-dark-secrets-you/) [James Caskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-caskey/) > [Scattered thoughts, dark secrets lead me to a blacker heart. Life can't get any worse, Stevie with his glasses off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-cole/scattered-thoughts-dark-secrets-lead-me-to-a-blacker-heart-life-can-t/) [J Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-cole/) ## More by Bill Gates > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-really-had-a-lot-of-dreams-when-i-was-a-kid-and-i-think-a-great/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/understanding-science-and-pushing-the-boundaries-of-science-is-what/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Paper is no longer a big part of my day. I get 90% of my news online, and when I go to a meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/paper-is-no-longer-a-big-part-of-my-day-i-get-90-of-my-news-online/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Software will get to be somewhat more mature, ah, but it will never be as predictable as most areas of engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-will-get-to-be-somewhat-more-mature-ah-but-it-will-never-be/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Students deserve great teachers. And teachers deserve the support they need to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/students-deserve-great-teachers-and-teachers-deserve-the-support-they/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The machines need to get faster. They need to get cheaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-machines-need-to-get-faster-they-need-to-get-cheaper/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Over time, yes, countries will need to look at specific GMO products like they look at drugs today, where they don't approve them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/over-time-yes-countries-will-need-to-look-at-specific-gmo-products/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Competition is always a fantastic thing, and the computer industry is intensely competitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/competition-is-always-a-fantastic-thing-and-the-computer-industry-is/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I don't think there's anything unique about human intellience. All the nuerons in the brain that make up perceptions and emotions operate in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-unique-about-human-intellience-all-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [At every juncture, advanced tools have been the key to a new wave of applications, and each wave of applications has been key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/at-every-juncture-advanced-tools-have-been-the-key-to-a-new-wave-of/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Software is more important than hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-is-more-important-than-hardware/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Talking to mothers, always brings it home because they're so anxious to do everything they can for their kids and so tragic for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/talking-to-mothers-always-brings-it-home-because-they-re-so-anxious/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) [Explore all 1,165 Bill Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## More Cybersecurity quotes > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Our engagement through international economics, trade, these trade agreements, is vital and is linked to our national security. This is a lesson we learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/our-engagement-through-international-economics-trade-these-trade/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you...it means that you do not treat your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/responsibility-to-yourself-means-refusing-to-let-others-do-your/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I'm OK with guns in schools, if it's a security, trained security personnel. But every teacher having a gun, I don't know if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/i-m-ok-with-guns-in-schools-if-it-s-a-security-trained-security/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [I'm also the chairman of the board of Symantec, which is the world's largest cybersecurity - software cybersecurity company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schulman/i-m-also-the-chairman-of-the-board-of-symantec-which-is-the-world-s/) [Dan Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schulman/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [Fraud will always exist. Enforcement of anti-fraud laws is a useful deterrent, but in the end there's no substitute for investor vigilance. Government regulations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/fraud-will-always-exist-enforcement-of-anti-fraud-laws-is-a-useful/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [As president, things that you're supposed to focus on, things like the economy, like energy policy, which is completely tied to national security, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/as-president-things-that-you-re-supposed-to-focus-on-things-like-the/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [The U.S. cannot impose freedom, security, and unity in Iraq by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/the-u-s-cannot-impose-freedom-security-and-unity-in-iraq-by-force/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [Men who have lived significant lives are men who never waited: not for money, security, ease, or women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/men-who-have-lived-significant-lives-are-men-who-never-waited-not-for/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [I don't want to have anything to do with that: just the fame without personal respect for your privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/i-don-t-want-to-have-anything-to-do-with-that-just-the-fame-without/) [Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/) > [The purpose of the military is to close with and destroy the enemy on behalf of our national security priorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/the-purpose-of-the-military-is-to-close-with-and-destroy-the-enemy-on/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) [Browse all 6,947 Cybersecurity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My guideline has always been to avoid a focus on me personally. Not because of any deep, dark secrets. Rather just a sense of privacy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Gates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a-focus-on-me-personally-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cybersecurity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a-focus-on-me-personally-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bill-gates-137_cybersecurity_my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a_2808780.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bill-gates-137_cybersecurity_my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a_2808780.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bill-gates-137_cybersecurity_my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a_2808780.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My guideline has always been to avoid a focus on me personally. Not because of any deep, dark secrets…” — Bill Gates", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Gates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My guideline has always been to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a-focus-on-me-personally-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/my-guideline-has-always-been-to-avoid-a-focus-on-me-personally-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```