--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I have not been completely honest with…" description: "\"If I have not been completely honest with you, it is only because I know a great deal of things that you do not want to know. I am going to ask that yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/850/erin-morgenstern-806_balance_if-i-have-not-been-completely-honest-wit_1535438.jpg" --- # If I have not been completely honest with you, it is only… ![“If I have not been completely honest with you, it is only because I know a great deal of things that you do not want to know. I am going to ask that you trust me when I tell you I am trying to make things better. It is an extremely delicate balance and there are a great many factors involved. The…” quote by Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/850/erin-morgenstern-806_balance_if-i-have-not-been-completely-honest-wit_1535438.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/850/erin-morgenstern-806_balance_if-i-have-not-been-completely-honest-wit_1535438.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/850/erin-morgenstern-806_balance_if-i-have-not-been-completely-honest-wit_1535438.jpg) > “If I have not been completely honest with you, it is only because I know a great deal of things that you do not want to know. I am going to ask that you trust me when I tell you I am trying to make things better. It is an extremely delicate balance and there are a great many factors involved. The best we can do right now is take everything as it comes, and not to worry ourselves over things that have happened, or things that are to come.” [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker urges honesty and trust while acknowledging complexity, advocating for acceptance of uncertainty and focusing on present challenges. **In simple terms:** Honesty, trust, and acceptance of uncertainty are key. Key Takeaway Practice transparent communication and stay present. Themes trust honesty uncertainty acceptance Mood thoughtful calm Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - relationships - team projects - personal growth - crisis management - mental health Key Concepts communication psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honesty with protecting others? - What strategies help manage overwhelming complexity? A Different Perspective Too much acceptance may lead to passivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Delicate Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delicate-balance/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [To be honest, sometimes you have to know your rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-hawkins/to-be-honest-sometimes-you-have-to-know-your-rights/) [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) > [I love how when I ask someone something and tell them to be honest and I already know the answer but they choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby/i-love-how-when-i-ask-someone-something-and-tell-them-to-be-honest/) [Shelby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby/) > [I'm not one to call out an individual and say "I don't think that is honest." Who am I to know what is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gungor/i-m-not-one-to-call-out-an-individual-and-say-i-don-t-think-that-is/) [Michael Gungor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gungor/) > [Don't be proud of being honest.You can't know what is coming to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erdem/don-t-be-proud-of-being-honest-you-can-t-know-what-is-coming-to-you/) [Erdem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erdem/) > [I'm very honest and I know where I am. If you look at the table and the games we have got left to win,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-poyet/i-m-very-honest-and-i-know-where-i-am-if-you-look-at-the-table-and/) Gus Poyet > [I ask for trust. It is a lot, I know; it isn't easy to give. But it is all I ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-atwater-rhodes/i-ask-for-trust-it-is-a-lot-i-know-it-isn-t-easy-to-give-but-it-is/) [Amelia Atwater-Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-atwater-rhodes/) > [“If you ask me do I trust I say yes, just not like before”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-little/if-you-ask-me-do-i-trust-i-say-yes-just-not-like-before/) Alice Little > [“If a man has to ask for your trust, it's a sure sign that you should not give it. Trust should be earned inherently,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-elisabeth-stengl/if-a-man-has-to-ask-for-your-trust-it-s-a-sure-sign-that-you-should/) [Anne Elisabeth Stengl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-elisabeth-stengl/) > [“Ask for my trust before it's been earned and you've already lost it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-r-bufogle/ask-for-my-trust-before-it-s-been-earned-and-you-ve-already-lost-it/) [Quentin R. Bufogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-r-bufogle/) > [“I ask myself, who do i trust? Then i answered, No-one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donwayne/i-ask-myself-who-do-i-trust-then-i-answered-no-one/) donwayne > [If you ask me to trust you,it simply means I should be more careful with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-you-ask-me-to-trust-you-it-simply-means-i-should-be-more-careful/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“Ask. Trust. Give thanks. Simple right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-gluskin/ask-trust-give-thanks-simple-right/) [Dawn Gluskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-gluskin/) > [People ask, 'Do I have trust issues?' I wouldn't say I have trust issues. I have trust concerns. It's valuable for me to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-banks/people-ask-do-i-have-trust-issues-i-wouldn-t-say-i-have-trust-issues/) [Brian Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-banks/) > [Marco knows he does not have the time to push her away, so he pulls her close, burying his face in her hair, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/marco-knows-he-does-not-have-the-time-to-push-her-away-so-he-pulls/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“I don't think anyone could write a completely honest autobiography. I am sure no one could bear to read it: My Past Was An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-don-t-think-anyone-could-write-a-completely-honest-autobiography-i/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More by Erin Morgenstern > [They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/they-are-enthusiasts-devotees-addicts-something-about-the-circus/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“The Burgess sisters arrive together. Tara and Lainie do a little bit of everything. Sometimes dancers, sometimes actresses. Once they were librarians, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/the-burgess-sisters-arrive-together-tara-and-lainie-do-a-little-bit/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Bedtime stories Eventide Rhapsodies Anthologies of Memory Please enter cautiously and feel free to open what is closed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/bedtime-stories-eventide-rhapsodies-anthologies-of-memory-please/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“When all of this is over, no matter which one of us wins, I will not let you go so easily. Agreed?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/when-all-of-this-is-over-no-matter-which-one-of-us-wins-i-will-not/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Even the ground beneath his feet feels unsatisfying to his boots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/even-the-ground-beneath-his-feet-feels-unsatisfying-to-his-boots/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Why haven’t you asked me how I do my tricks?” Celia asks, once they have reached the point where she is certain he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/why-haven-t-you-asked-me-how-i-do-my-tricks-celia-asks-once-they-have/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [And there are really never endings, happy or otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/and-there-are-really-never-endings-happy-or-otherwise/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I binge write. I think it's because I started seriously writing by participating in National Novel Writing Month, an online-based challenge to write 50,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-binge-write-i-think-it-s-because-i-started-seriously-writing-by/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I have absurdly vivid dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-have-absurdly-vivid-dreams/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I made a wish on this tree years ago," Marco says. "What did you wish for?" Bailey asks. Marco leans forward and whispers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-made-a-wish-on-this-tree-years-ago-marco-says-what-did-you-wish-for/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“He reads histories and mythologies and fairy tales, wondering why it seems that only girls are ever swept away from their mundane lives on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/he-reads-histories-and-mythologies-and-fairy-tales-wondering-why-it/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Behind him, the sheep, left to their own devices, decide to wander through the open gate into the field beyond.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/behind-him-the-sheep-left-to-their-own-devices-decide-to-wander/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [Marco moves to close the distance between them, kissing away her tears before catching her lip with his own. As he kisses her, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/marco-moves-to-close-the-distance-between-them-kissing-away-her-tears/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“«Importa más ser que parecer.»”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/importa-m-s-ser-que-parecer/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [And before he can tell her to tell Widget goodbye for him if need be, she leans forward and kisses him, not on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/and-before-he-can-tell-her-to-tell-widget-goodbye-for-him-if-need-be/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) [Explore all 339 Erin Morgenstern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I have not been completely honest with you, it is only because I know a great deal of things that you do not want to know. I am going to ask that you trust me when I tell you I am trying to make things better. It is an extremely delicate balance and there are a great many factors involved. 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