--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder…" description: "\"Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, has on several occasions talked about transparency as an absolute principle. I don't personally believe that.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/bill-keller-13202_about_julian-assange-the-wikileaks-founder-has_2789599.jpg" --- # Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, has on several… ![“Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, has on several occasions talked about transparency as an absolute principle. I don't personally believe that.” quote by Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/bill-keller-13202_about_julian-assange-the-wikileaks-founder-has_2789599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/bill-keller-13202_about_julian-assange-the-wikileaks-founder-has_2789599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/bill-keller-13202_about_julian-assange-the-wikileaks-founder-has_2789599.jpg) > “Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, has on several occasions talked about transparency as an absolute principle. I don't personally believe that.” [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques absolute transparency, suggesting it can harm privacy and trust. **In simple terms:** Transparency isn’t always absolute. Key Takeaway Balance openness with discretion. Themes privacy trust ethics Mood analytical cautious Type journalistic ethical When to use this quote - government disclosures - corporate communications - personal data sharing Key Concepts information theory journalism Questions to Reflect On - When should secrets be kept? - How to decide transparency limits? A Different Perspective May ignore necessity of accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assange/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Julian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/julian/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/julian-assange/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Talked Transparency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talked-transparency-3368969/) [Transparency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transparency/) [Transparency Absolute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transparency-absolute-3368970/) [Wikileaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wikileaks/) [Wikileaks Founder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wikileaks-founder-3368968/) ## Related quotes > [In the physical world, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a wanted man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/in-the-physical-world-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-is-a-wanted-man/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [There have been so many individuals who have really put a lot on the line. That they've sacrificed so much to try to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-have-been-so-many-individuals-who-have-really-put-a-lot-on-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There's a huge amount of footage of Julian \[ Assange\] online, but he's usually in presentation or defending mode, talking about his cause, or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/there-s-a-huge-amount-of-footage-of-julian-assange-online-but-he-s/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [EVERY attack now made on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange was made against me and the release of the Pentagon Papers at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/every-attack-now-made-on-wikileaks-and-julian-assange-was-made/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [I never made any reference to John Podesta's email.Does it say #WikiLeaks, #Assange? Julian Assange said, Stone predicted that his emails would be hacked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-stone/i-never-made-any-reference-to-john-podesta-s-email-does-it-say/) [Roger Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-stone/) > [I feel that Julian Assange came to be both paranoid and self-regarding in ways that ultimately undermined his own mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/i-feel-that-julian-assange-came-to-be-both-paranoid-and-self-2/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [ I know he \[Julian Assange\] is a man of fierce determination, and now living under the strain of house arrest in the Ecuadorean embassy… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-know-he-julian-assange-is-a-man-of-fierce-determination-and-now/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [My assessment of Julian Assange is a professional one, really, of what he's managed to achieve, and the idea that he came up with,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/my-assessment-of-julian-assange-is-a-professional-one-really-of-what/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [The fact is that when it comes to judgment as to what should be secret and what should not be secret, Julian Assange's judgment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/the-fact-is-that-when-it-comes-to-judgment-as-to-what-should-be/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [ I understand from those who adore him, he \[Julian Assange\] has a great sense of humor which rarely gets an airing because he's dealing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-understand-from-those-who-adore-him-he-julian-assange-has-a-great/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [I guess I could be singing about Superman, or about Zarathustra coming down from the mountain, but in my mind I was singing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-wareham/i-guess-i-could-be-singing-about-superman-or-about-zarathustra-coming/) [Dean Wareham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-wareham/) > [ I had to imagine myself into certain aspects of \[Julian Assange\] character for our version of events. That involved extrapolating based on clues in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-had-to-imagine-myself-into-certain-aspects-of-julian-assange/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [ I'd love to meet Julian \[Assange\], and time permitting, and his will permitting, I'm sure it will happen at some point. Even though he's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-d-love-to-meet-julian-assange-and-time-permitting-and-his-will/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Those of us who believe in human rights and the truth - particularly the journalists and the media - should stand in defense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mairead-corrigan/those-of-us-who-believe-in-human-rights-and-the-truth-particularly/) [Mairead Corrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mairead-corrigan/) > [I know that might sound perverse because I played Julian Assange but, honestly, I don't think it would be fair for me to judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-know-that-might-sound-perverse-because-i-played-julian-assange-but/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) ## More by Bill Keller > [It's a considerable source of tragedy in the world that people stay in powerful jobs long past the point where they're a spent force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/it-s-a-considerable-source-of-tragedy-in-the-world-that-people-stay/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [If a candidate for president said he believed that space aliens dwell among us, would that affect your willingness to vote for him? Personally,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/if-a-candidate-for-president-said-he-believed-that-space-aliens-dwell/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [One of the reasons that I'm a lurker on Twitter is that every time I tweet an idea, I feel like I'm delivering something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-m-a-lurker-on-twitter-is-that-every-time-i/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [Since September 11 2001, editors in America have faced some excruciating choices, as the attempt to wage a war against a new kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/since-september-11-2001-editors-in-america-have-faced-some/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [Liberation movements - prizing ends over means - are not always particular about their friends or scrupulous about their transactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/liberation-movements-prizing-ends-over-means-are-not-always/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/a-vote-for-mitt-romney-is-a-vote-for-satan/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [I don't have dating tips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/i-don-t-have-dating-tips/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [The most obvious drawback of social media is that they are aggressive distractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/the-most-obvious-drawback-of-social-media-is-that-they-are-aggressive/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [My view of social media is that it is a set of tools, not a religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/my-view-of-social-media-is-that-it-is-a-set-of-tools-not-a-religion/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [My feeling about the Internet or anything else is that the more it tends to become a cult, the more I want to call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/my-feeling-about-the-internet-or-anything-else-is-that-the-more-it/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [Whether or not Twitter makes you stupid, it certainly makes some smart people sound stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/whether-or-not-twitter-makes-you-stupid-it-certainly-makes-some-smart/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [There's a lot of stuff they don't teach you in the mythical editors' school. They don't teach you that you're going to have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-they-don-t-teach-you-in-the-mythical-editors/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [The Democrats generally recoil from the subject of entitlements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/the-democrats-generally-recoil-from-the-subject-of-entitlements/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [Maybe we're all a little too desperate these days for a simple formula to explain how our safe world came unhinged. That, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/maybe-we-re-all-a-little-too-desperate-these-days-for-a-simple/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [There is a long history of newspapers being doomed. They were doomed by radio. They were doomed by television. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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