--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All confidence which is not absolute and…" description: "\"All confidence which is not absolute and entire, is dangerous. There are few occasions but where a man ought either to say all, or conceal all; for, ho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/francis-beaumont-18538_absolutes_all-confidence-which-is-not-absolute-and_1596881.jpg" --- # All confidence which is not absolute and entire, is… ![“All confidence which is not absolute and entire, is dangerous. There are few occasions but where a man ought either to say all, or conceal all; for, how little so ever you have revealed of your secret to a friend, you have already said too much if you think it not safe to make him privy to all…” quote by Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/francis-beaumont-18538_absolutes_all-confidence-which-is-not-absolute-and_1596881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/francis-beaumont-18538_absolutes_all-confidence-which-is-not-absolute-and_1596881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/francis-beaumont-18538_absolutes_all-confidence-which-is-not-absolute-and_1596881.jpg) > “All confidence which is not absolute and entire, is dangerous. There are few occasions but where a man ought either to say all, or conceal all; for, how little so ever you have revealed of your secret to a friend, you have already said too much if you think it not safe to make him privy to all particulars.” [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Partial disclosure of secrets can be hazardous; either reveal fully or keep completely private. **In simple terms:** Partial secrets are dangerous. Key Takeaway Choose full transparency or full secrecy. Themes privacy honesty risk management Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - legal negotiations - personal confessions - corporate strategy - friendships Key Concepts secrecy integrity trust Questions to Reflect On - When is partial sharing appropriate? - What are the risks of total secrecy? A Different Perspective Full disclosure may expose vulnerabilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Conceal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceal/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Confidence Absolute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence-absolute-5340280/) [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Friend Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-said/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Say Conceal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-conceal-4247734/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) ## Related quotes > [The epitaph that I would write for history would say: I conceal nothing. It is not enough not to lie. One should strive not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-epitaph-that-i-would-write-for-history-would-say-i-conceal/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I think when one's working, one works between absolute confidence and absolute doubt, and I got a huge dallop of each.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-think-when-one-s-working-one-works-between-absolute-confidence-and/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [To be cautious, one should not take high confidence as any absolute guarantee of anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/to-be-cautious-one-should-not-take-high-confidence-as-any-absolute/) [Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/) > [There are some occasions in which a man must tell half his secret, in order to conceal the rest: but there is seldom one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/there-are-some-occasions-in-which-a-man-must-tell-half-his-secret-in/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [A friend said to me I'm like a walking New Yorker article. It's true! That's how I write. That's how I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-vargas/a-friend-said-to-me-i-m-like-a-walking-new-yorker-article-it-s-true/) [Jose Antonio Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-vargas/) > [“Charlie, you’re missing the point. The point is that I don’t think you would have acted different even if you did like Mary Elizabeth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/charlie-you-re-missing-the-point-the-point-is-that-i-don-t-think-you/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [A discussion between Haldane and a friend began to take a predictable turn. The friend said with a sigh, 'It's no use going on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-s-haldane/a-discussion-between-haldane-and-a-friend-began-to-take-a-predictable/) [John B. S. Haldane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-s-haldane/) > [A friend once said, and I found to be true,That everyday people, they lie to God too,So what makes you think, that they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/a-friend-once-said-and-i-found-to-be-true-that-everyday-people-they/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [Even my closest friend said I was finished, but I think I may be a little different from the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namie-amuro/even-my-closest-friend-said-i-was-finished-but-i-think-i-may-be-a/) [Namie Amuro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namie-amuro/) > [My friend said to me, 'You don't look good,' - because all the time I have to think about law and justice and courts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bikram-choudhury/my-friend-said-to-me-you-don-t-look-good-because-all-the-time-i-have/) [Bikram Choudhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bikram-choudhury/) > [I went to a restaurant with my friend, and he said, "Pass the salt." I said, "Screw you! Sit closer to the salt."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-went-to-a-restaurant-with-my-friend-and-he-said-pass-the-salt-i/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [My friend said he didn't have time for Twitter like me, he has a job I replied shut the fuck up & lend me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/my-friend-said-he-didn-t-have-time-for-twitter-like-me-he-has-a-job-i/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“A friend of mine once said that she didn't believe in coincidence, that it was God working in her life, not a coincidence every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cameron/a-friend-of-mine-once-said-that-she-didn-t-believe-in-coincidence/) [Barbara Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cameron/) > [“A friend complained that his brother-in-law had phoned and woken him up in the middle of the night. The brother-in-law said, “I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jourdan/a-friend-complained-that-his-brother-in-law-had-phoned-and-woken-him/) [Carolyn Jourdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jourdan/) > [One friend said, "Donnie Darko movie was weird!" And I thought, "Hmm. I don't think we're as good of friends as I thought." It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/one-friend-said-donnie-darko-movie-was-weird-and-i-thought-hmm-i-don/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) ## More by Francis Beaumont > [Let no man fear to die, we love to sleep all, and death is but the sounder sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/let-no-man-fear-to-die-we-love-to-sleep-all-and-death-is-but-the/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [As high as Heaven, as deep as Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/as-high-as-heaven-as-deep-as-hell/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [Our lives are but our marches to the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/our-lives-are-but-our-marches-to-the-grave/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [Oh, love will make a dog howl in rhyme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/oh-love-will-make-a-dog-howl-in-rhyme/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [You are no better than you should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/you-are-no-better-than-you-should-be/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [It is more noble by silence to avoid an injury than by argument to overcome it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/it-is-more-noble-by-silence-to-avoid-an-injury-than-by-argument-to/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [As men do walk a mile, women should talk an hour, After supper. 'Tis their exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/as-men-do-walk-a-mile-women-should-talk-an-hour-after-supper-tis/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [If men wound you with injuries, meet them with patience; hasty words rankle the wound, soft language dresses it, forgiveness cures it, and oblivion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/if-men-wound-you-with-injuries-meet-them-with-patience-hasty-words/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [Let us have a care not to disclose our hearts to those who shut up theirs against us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/let-us-have-a-care-not-to-disclose-our-hearts-to-those-who-shut-up/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [Bad's the best of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/bad-s-the-best-of-us/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [Those have most power to hurt us, that we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/those-have-most-power-to-hurt-us-that-we-love/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [“My hard fortunes Deserve not scorn; for I was never proud When they were good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/my-hard-fortunes-deserve-not-scorn-for-i-was-never-proud-when-they/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [It is a word that's quickly spoken, which being unrestrained, a heart is broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/it-is-a-word-that-s-quickly-spoken-which-being-unrestrained-a-heart/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [The true way to gain much is never to desire to gain too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/the-true-way-to-gain-much-is-never-to-desire-to-gain-too-much/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [Kiss till the cow comes home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/kiss-till-the-cow-comes-home/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) [Explore all 34 Francis Beaumont quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) [Christy Nockels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-nockels/) > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All confidence which is not absolute and entire, is dangerous. 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