--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But it must not be thought that I say…" description: "\"But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal experience: for in the many years that I have been before the public my secret methods have ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb1/harry-houdini-12485_assistants_but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-th_3067353.jpg" --- # But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal… ![“But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal experience: for in the many years that I have been before the public my secret methods have been steadily shielded by the strict integrity of my assistants, most of whom have been with me for years.” quote by Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb1/harry-houdini-12485_assistants_but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-th_3067353.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb1/harry-houdini-12485_assistants_but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-th_3067353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb1/harry-houdini-12485_assistants_but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-th_3067353.jpg) > “But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal experience: for in the many years that I have been before the public my secret methods have been steadily shielded by the strict integrity of my assistants, most of whom have been with me for years.” [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Houdini claims his secret methods are protected by loyal assistants, emphasizing trust and secrecy in performance art. **In simple terms:** He says his tricks are safe because his helpers are trustworthy. Key Takeaway Value trustworthy collaborators to protect valuable secrets. Themes trust secrecy collaboration performance integrity Mood thoughtful reflective professional Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - stage magic - corporate trade secrets - confidential projects Key Concepts ethics of secrecy role of assistants craftsmanship Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure loyalty among collaborators? - What are the risks of over‑reliance on secrecy? A Different Perspective Reliance on others can be risky if trust is broken. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assistants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistants/) [Assistants Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistants-years-5172611/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Personal experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-experience/) [Public Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-secret-2565409/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret Methods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-methods-2214124/) [Steadily Shielded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steadily-shielded-5172610/) [Strict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strict/) [Strict Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strict-integrity-3872430/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Keep braiding one's wavelengths back into oneself. That way they gain all the more external power and surround us with a huge affective and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/keep-braiding-one-s-wavelengths-back-into-oneself-that-way-they-gain/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [What's great is that the picture is already taken before it goes public. It's in secret. The trust that develops from such a habit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-gowin/what-s-great-is-that-the-picture-is-already-taken-before-it-goes/) [Emmet Gowin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-gowin/) > [Attend with Diligence and strict Integrity to the Interest of your Correspondents and enter into no Engagements which you have not the almost certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/attend-with-diligence-and-strict-integrity-to-the-interest-of-your/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [You are already of consequence in the world if you are known as a man of strict integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grenville-kleiser/you-are-already-of-consequence-in-the-world-if-you-are-known-as-a-man/) [Grenville Kleiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grenville-kleiser/) > [But then, so far as I know, I am the only performer who ever pledged his assistants to secrecy, honor and allegiance under a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/but-then-so-far-as-i-know-i-am-the-only-performer-who-ever-pledged/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Remember, this is back in the '40s, and the idea of a museum being a place where interested people could come in direct contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/remember-this-is-back-in-the-40s-and-the-idea-of-a-museum-being-a/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [Photoshop is useful in many ways but must NEVER be used for the altering of photographs. My assistants and my agency do whatever Photoshop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/photoshop-is-useful-in-many-ways-but-must-never-be-used-for-the/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Hollywood is a whole other level of crazy. I've never met so many assistants who have assistants. It's a stratified society on its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/hollywood-is-a-whole-other-level-of-crazy-i-ve-never-met-so-many/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I know that you observe Christmas Day as you learned it at home. I do not observe it. However, as assistant director of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odilo-globocnik/i-know-that-you-observe-christmas-day-as-you-learned-it-at-home-i-do/) [Odilo Globocnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/odilo-globocnik/) > [Everyone believed the Senate could not really be led. It used to take so long to rise up through seniority. In two years Lyndon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/everyone-believed-the-senate-could-not-really-be-led-it-used-to-take/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [ Well, that would be a title \[the busiest guy in Hollywood\] still reserved for Ryan Seacrest. I have one assistant; he has about nine.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mchale/well-that-would-be-a-title-the-busiest-guy-in-hollywood-still/) [Joel McHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mchale/) > [To this day, I've never had an assistant. I really insist on doing everything myself because I value the role of the artist's hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-robleto/to-this-day-i-ve-never-had-an-assistant-i-really-insist-on-doing/) [Dario Robleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-robleto/) > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [Since, however, it is immaterial whether the work is done by assistants or a machine, I decided to build a machine equivalent to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-however-it-is-immaterial-whether-the-work-is-done-by-assistants/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a good assistant. That's why I don't have an assistant, because I'm so on it that no one can be as on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/i-m-a-good-assistant-that-s-why-i-don-t-have-an-assistant-because-i-m/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) ## More by Harry Houdini > [Look at this life - all mystery and magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/look-at-this-life-all-mystery-and-magic/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Magic is the sole science not accepted by scientists, because they can't understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/magic-is-the-sole-science-not-accepted-by-scientists-because-they-can/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Flames from the lips may be produced by holding in the mouth a sponge saturated with the purest gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/flames-from-the-lips-may-be-produced-by-holding-in-the-mouth-a-sponge/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Another method of eating burning coals employs small balls of burned cotton in a dish of burning alcohol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/another-method-of-eating-burning-coals-employs-small-balls-of-burned/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [I am not an irretrievable skeptic. I am not hopelessly prejudiced. I am perfectly willing to believe, and my mind is wide open; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/i-am-not-an-irretrievable-skeptic-i-am-not-hopelessly-prejudiced-i-am/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Keep up your enthusiasm! There is nothing more contagious than exuberant enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/keep-up-your-enthusiasm-there-is-nothing-more-contagious-than/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [No prison can hold me; no hand or leg irons or steel locks can shackle me. No ropes or chains can keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/no-prison-can-hold-me-no-hand-or-leg-irons-or-steel-locks-can-shackle/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Anyone who believes in magic is a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/anyone-who-believes-in-magic-is-a-fool/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [No performer should attempt to bite off red-hot iron unless he has a good set of teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/no-performer-should-attempt-to-bite-off-red-hot-iron-unless-he-has-a/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [I'm tired of fighting...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/i-m-tired-of-fighting/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [What the eyes sees, the ear hears, and the mind believes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/what-the-eyes-sees-the-ear-hears-and-the-mind-believes/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [To cause the face to appear in a mass of flame make use of the following: mix together thoroughly petroleum, lard, mutton tallow and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/to-cause-the-face-to-appear-in-a-mass-of-flame-make-use-of-the/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [But then, so far as I know, I am the only performer who ever pledged his assistants to secrecy, honor and allegiance under a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/but-then-so-far-as-i-know-i-am-the-only-performer-who-ever-pledged/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [The eating of burning brimstone is an entirely fake performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/the-eating-of-burning-brimstone-is-an-entirely-fake-performance/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [My Brain is the key that sets me free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/my-brain-is-the-key-that-sets-me-free/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) [Explore all 54 Harry Houdini quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) ## More Assistants quotes > [I'm a good assistant. That's why I don't have an assistant, because I'm so on it that no one can be as on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/i-m-a-good-assistant-that-s-why-i-don-t-have-an-assistant-because-i-m/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [Since, however, it is immaterial whether the work is done by assistants or a machine, I decided to build a machine equivalent to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-however-it-is-immaterial-whether-the-work-is-done-by-assistants/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [To this day, I've never had an assistant. I really insist on doing everything myself because I value the role of the artist's hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-robleto/to-this-day-i-ve-never-had-an-assistant-i-really-insist-on-doing/) [Dario Robleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-robleto/) > [ Well, that would be a title \[the busiest guy in Hollywood\] still reserved for Ryan Seacrest. I have one assistant; he has about nine.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mchale/well-that-would-be-a-title-the-busiest-guy-in-hollywood-still/) [Joel McHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mchale/) > [Everyone believed the Senate could not really be led. It used to take so long to rise up through seniority. In two years Lyndon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/everyone-believed-the-senate-could-not-really-be-led-it-used-to-take/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [I know that you observe Christmas Day as you learned it at home. I do not observe it. However, as assistant director of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odilo-globocnik/i-know-that-you-observe-christmas-day-as-you-learned-it-at-home-i-do/) [Odilo Globocnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/odilo-globocnik/) > [Hollywood is a whole other level of crazy. I've never met so many assistants who have assistants. It's a stratified society on its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/hollywood-is-a-whole-other-level-of-crazy-i-ve-never-met-so-many/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Photoshop is useful in many ways but must NEVER be used for the altering of photographs. My assistants and my agency do whatever Photoshop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/photoshop-is-useful-in-many-ways-but-must-never-be-used-for-the/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Remember, this is back in the '40s, and the idea of a museum being a place where interested people could come in direct contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/remember-this-is-back-in-the-40s-and-the-idea-of-a-museum-being-a/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [The mind reels at the multiplication of books intended to justify the author's promotion from assistant to associate professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/the-mind-reels-at-the-multiplication-of-books-intended-to-justify-the/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [I was in Japan, and my assistant director had worked with Kurosawa. I used quite of number of Kurosawa's crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/i-was-in-japan-and-my-assistant-director-had-worked-with-kurosawa-i/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [It's one of the most beautiful memories of my life. Not everyone has a chance to meet Greta Garbo! I was so in awe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanna-cau/it-s-one-of-the-most-beautiful-memories-of-my-life-not-everyone-has-a/) [Giovanna Cau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanna-cau/) > [Think like a head coach, but act like an assistant coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-amaker/think-like-a-head-coach-but-act-like-an-assistant-coach/) [Tommy Amaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-amaker/) > [I must have assistants who will solve their own problems and tell me later what they've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/i-must-have-assistants-who-will-solve-their-own-problems-and-tell-me/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) [Browse all 322 Assistants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal experience: for in the many years that I have been before the public my secret methods have been steadily shielded by the strict integrity of my assistants, most of whom have been with me for years.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Houdini" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-this-out-of-personal-experience/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assistants" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-this-out-of-personal-experience/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb1/harry-houdini-12485_assistants_but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-th_3067353.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb1/harry-houdini-12485_assistants_but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-th_3067353.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb1/harry-houdini-12485_assistants_but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-th_3067353.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal experience: for in the many years that I have…” — Harry Houdini", "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": "Harry Houdini", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But it must not be thought...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-this-out-of-personal-experience/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/but-it-must-not-be-thought-that-i-say-this-out-of-personal-experience/#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 } } ] } ```