--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have to keep something a secret…" description: "\"“If you have to keep something a secret it's because you shouldn't be doing it in the first place!”\" — David Nicholls" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/david-nicholls-873_doing_if-you-have-to-keep-something-a-secret-i_359833.png" --- # If you have to keep something a secret it's because you… ![“If you have to keep something a secret it's because you shouldn't be doing it in the first place!” quote by David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/david-nicholls-873_doing_if-you-have-to-keep-something-a-secret-i_359833.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/david-nicholls-873_doing_if-you-have-to-keep-something-a-secret-i_359833.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/david-nicholls-873_doing_if-you-have-to-keep-something-a-secret-i_359833.png) > ““If you have to keep something a secret it's because you shouldn't be doing it in the first place!”” [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping secrets often signals unethical behavior; transparency is healthier. **In simple terms:** Secrets hint at wrongdoing. Key Takeaway Be open about actions. Themes ethics transparency integrity Mood cautious thoughtful Type advice ethical When to use this quote - personal relationships - business decisions - political scandals Key Concepts moral psychology accountability Questions to Reflect On - When is secrecy justified? - How does secrecy affect trust? A Different Perspective Secrets can be justified in security contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) ## Related quotes > [If you have to keep a secret it's because you shouldn't be doing it in the first place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/if-you-have-to-keep-a-secret-it-s-because-you-shouldn-t-be-doing-it/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it. Is it really worth it to risk your health—mental and physical—for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivi-monroe-congress/if-a-relationship-has-to-be-a-secret-you-shouldn-t-be-in-it-is-it/) Vivi Monroe Congress > [If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/if-a-relationship-has-to-be-a-secret-you-shouldn-t-be-in-it/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [It doesn't make any sense. If the SIM are policemen, secret or not, shouldn't we trust them instead of being afraid of them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-alvarez/it-doesn-t-make-any-sense-if-the-sim-are-policemen-secret-or-not/) [Julia Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-alvarez/) > [If u have to keep your relationship a secret , you shouldn't be in it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-u-have-to-keep-your-relationship-a-secret-you-shouldn-t-be-in-it/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Debating the best way to do something we shouldn't be doing in the first place is a sure way to end up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/debating-the-best-way-to-do-something-we-shouldn-t-be-doing-in-the/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Where you are is of no moment, but only what you are doing there. It is not the place that ennobles you, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petrarch/where-you-are-is-of-no-moment-but-only-what-you-are-doing-there-it-is/) [Petrarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petrarch/) > [I have no idea where I'm going but here's the real question: What am I doing here in the first place?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-have-no-idea-where-i-m-going-but-here-s-the-real-question-what-am-i/) [Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/) > [Sometimes I forget what I am doing at place where I spent most time with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan-sharma/sometimes-i-forget-what-i-am-doing-at-place-where-i-spent-most-time/) [Sushan Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan-sharma/) > [“We shouldn't be doing this." 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I don't recommend it, because, having said that, the people that should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-winger/i-guess-what-i-have-to-say-is-don-t-do-it-i-don-t-recommend-it/) [Debra Winger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-winger/) > [If you can't laugh about sex, you shouldn't be doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-johanson/if-you-can-t-laugh-about-sex-you-shouldn-t-be-doing-it/) [Sue Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-johanson/) > [If you don't have fun doing the things you love, doing your job, you shouldn't be doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-young/if-you-don-t-have-fun-doing-the-things-you-love-doing-your-job-you/) [Nick Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-young/) > [I think people do things all the time in the name of love that they shouldn't be doing - such is the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-think-people-do-things-all-the-time-in-the-name-of-love-that-they/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I think that if you don't like something and it's not easy, you shouldn't be doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hickey/i-think-that-if-you-don-t-like-something-and-it-s-not-easy-you/) [Dave Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hickey/) ## More by David Nicholls > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Good God, 'the elusive thing'. She had reached a turning point. She no longer believed that a situation could be made better by writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/good-god-the-elusive-thing-she-had-reached-a-turning-point-she-no/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [You've got to stop letting women slip drugs into your mouth, Dex, it's unhygienic. And dangerous. One day it'll be a cyanide capsule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/you-ve-got-to-stop-letting-women-slip-drugs-into-your-mouth-dex-it-s/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“He presses two fingers against each eye and attempts to account for this crippling melancholy, but is having trouble with rational thought. It feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/he-presses-two-fingers-against-each-eye-and-attempts-to-account-for/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [She was reaching the limits of how much its possible to change a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/she-was-reaching-the-limits-of-how-much-its-possible-to-change-a-man/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“How would she fill the days? She had no idea. The trick of it, she told herself, is to be courageous and bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/how-would-she-fill-the-days-she-had-no-idea-the-trick-of-it-she-told/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. 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No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) Kitty > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. 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