--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Looking for an entirely reliable…" description: "\"Looking for an entirely reliable informant is like looking for a chaste mistress.\" — Cassandra Clare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/cassandra-clare-9_chaste_looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informa_1894759.jpg" --- # Looking for an entirely reliable informant is like looking… ![“Looking for an entirely reliable informant is like looking for a chaste mistress.” quote by Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/cassandra-clare-9_chaste_looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informa_1894759.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/cassandra-clare-9_chaste_looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informa_1894759.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/cassandra-clare-9_chaste_looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informa_1894759.jpg) > “Looking for an entirely reliable informant is like looking for a chaste mistress.” [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Finding a perfectly trustworthy source is as impossible as finding a chaste mistress; both are unrealistic ideals. **In simple terms:** Reliable informants are impossible. Key Takeaway Seek multiple perspectives instead of a single perfect source. Themes trust information idealism Mood cautious thoughtful Type epistemic practical When to use this quote - journalism - investigations - personal decisions Key Concepts epistemology skepticism Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify information? - When is it okay to rely on a single source? A Different Perspective Absolute trust can sometimes be necessary in emergencies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chaste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaste/) [Chaste Mistress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaste-mistress-2759597/) [Informant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informant-91273/) [Informant Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informant-like-2759596/) [Informants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informants/) [Mistress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistress/) [Reliable Informant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reliable-informant-2759595/) [Simile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simile/) ## Related quotes > [“Blunt turned to the man in question with a helpless grin, "You have always proven yourself a mystery to me, good fellow!" 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And, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/a-lot-of-black-people-worked-with-the-police-as-snitches-we-used-to/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [With its brutal excesses and reliance on snitches and finks as informants, I don't think it's far off-kilter to describe the modern-day drug war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-miller/with-its-brutal-excesses-and-reliance-on-snitches-and-finks-as/) [Joel Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-miller/) > [Archaeology is the only branch of Anthropology where we kill our informants in the process of studying them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-v-flannery/archaeology-is-the-only-branch-of-anthropology-where-we-kill-our/) [Kent V. Flannery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-v-flannery/) > [The Grimm brothers always said that their informants were women, which is possibly not true, women of the people. 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Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trenton-lee-stewart/somhow-those-ten-men-at-the-time-they-were-called-recruiters-of/) [Trenton Lee Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trenton-lee-stewart/) > [One question that has always intrigued me is what happens to demonic beings when immigrants move from their homelands. Irish-Americans remember the fairies. Norwegian-Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mercer-dorson/one-question-that-has-always-intrigued-me-is-what-happens-to-demonic/) [Richard Mercer Dorson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mercer-dorson/) > [It is a little-known fact about covert operations that you will spend a lot of time with people you can’t really trust. They may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/it-is-a-little-known-fact-about-covert-operations-that-you-will-spend/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [Simply stated, sometimes journalists can only get their information from informants who must remain anonymous in order to protect their careers and sometimes even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/simply-stated-sometimes-journalists-can-only-get-their-information/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) ## More by Cassandra Clare > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. 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"He's a warlock," said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/if-you-re-texting-magnus-to-say-i-think-u-r-kewl-i-m-going-to-kill/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“they all have always loved you Will Herondale, for you cannot hide what is good about yourself, however har you try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/they-all-have-always-loved-you-will-herondale-for-you-cannot-hide/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“We work through this together, remember? No shutting me out. No epic sulks.” “I was figuring I could sulk for Idris in the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/we-work-through-this-together-remember-no-shutting-me-out-no-epic/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Lex malla, lex nulla,” said Julian with a regretful wave of his hand. It was the Blackthorn family motto: A bad law is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/lex-malla-lex-nulla-said-julian-with-a-regretful-wave-of-his-hand-it/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm memorable, its true." -Magnus, pg.229-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-m-memorable-its-true-magnus-pg-229/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“There is more to living than not dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/there-is-more-to-living-than-not-dying/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Unless there was a reason for me to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/unless-there-was-a-reason-for-me-to-stay/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Love didn't make you weak, it made you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/love-didn-t-make-you-weak-it-made-you-stronger/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I wasn’t just worried about him; I was worried about you, too. There’s something so . . . reassuring about you. And Jace is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-wasn-t-just-worried-about-him-i-was-worried-about-you-too-there-s/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I firmly believe that you can't get a good movie without risking a bad movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-firmly-believe-that-you-can-t-get-a-good-movie-without-risking-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) [Explore all 4,049 Cassandra Clare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More Chaste quotes > [It is not always from valor or from chastity that men are brave, and women chaste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-not-always-from-valor-or-from-chastity-that-men-are-brave-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The one who has not conquered the passions cannot enter the chaste and pure region of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/the-one-who-has-not-conquered-the-passions-cannot-enter-the-chaste/) [Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/) > [Manye chapeleyns arn chaste, ac charite is aweye; Are none hardere than hii whan hii ben avaunced: Unkynde to hire kyn and to alle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-langland/manye-chapeleyns-arn-chaste-ac-charite-is-aweye-are-none-hardere-than/) [William Langland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-langland/) > [Staying chaste until marriage, a commandment of my faith, was one of the most difficult challenges of my young life. I had a powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/staying-chaste-until-marriage-a-commandment-of-my-faith-was-one-of/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [“It is better to lock up your heart with a merciless padlock, than to fall in love with someone who doesn't know what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/it-is-better-to-lock-up-your-heart-with-a-merciless-padlock-than-to/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“A virtuos woman is not moved by big names and flamboyance, but only men of profound wisdom and integrity move her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/a-virtuos-woman-is-not-moved-by-big-names-and-flamboyance-but-only/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“The girl's life had been squandered in the streets, and among the most noisome of the stews and dens of London, but there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-girl-s-life-had-been-squandered-in-the-streets-and-among-the-most/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Too chaste an adolescence makes for a dissolute old age. It is doubtless easier to give up something one has known than something one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/too-chaste-an-adolescence-makes-for-a-dissolute-old-age-it-is/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [The eye of a man should be still more reverent before the rising of a young maiden than before the rising of a star.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-eye-of-a-man-should-be-still-more-reverent-before-the-rising-of-a/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Mediocre people often have a tinge of religion about them, but it is only a tinge. They take their religion as it comes. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-dubay/mediocre-people-often-have-a-tinge-of-religion-about-them-but-it-is/) [Thomas Dubay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-dubay/) > [There's a disciplined erotic component to it, so that the height of sexual contact is the embrace, the modest touch, a relatively chaste kiss.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/there-s-a-disciplined-erotic-component-to-it-so-that-the-height-of/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [If she be not honest, chaste, and true, there's no man happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-she-be-not-honest-chaste-and-true-there-s-no-man-happy/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A Roman divorced from his wife, being highly blamed by his friends, who demanded, "Was she not chaste? Was she not fair? Was she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/a-roman-divorced-from-his-wife-being-highly-blamed-by-his-friends-who/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Make me chaste and To what excesses will men not go for the sake of a religion in which they believe so little and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/make-me-chaste-and-to-what-excesses-will-men-not-go-for-the-sake-of-a/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Art is never chaste. It ought to be forbidden to ignorant innocents, never allowed into contact with those not sufficiently prepared. Yes, art is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-is-never-chaste-it-ought-to-be-forbidden-to-ignorant-innocents/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 169 Chaste quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaste/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Looking for an entirely reliable informant is like looking for a chaste mistress.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cassandra Clare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informant-is-like-looking-for-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chaste" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informant-is-like-looking-for-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/cassandra-clare-9_chaste_looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informa_1894759.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/cassandra-clare-9_chaste_looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informa_1894759.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/cassandra-clare-9_chaste_looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informa_1894759.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Looking for an entirely reliable informant is like looking for a chaste mistress.” — Cassandra Clare", "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": "Cassandra Clare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Looking for an entirely reliable informant...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informant-is-like-looking-for-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/looking-for-an-entirely-reliable-informant-is-like-looking-for-a/#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 } } ] } ```