--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Leaks are not the problem; they are the…" description: "\"Leaks are not the problem; they are the symptom. They reveal a disconnect between what people want and need to know and what they actually do know. The..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/heather-brooke-9035_actually_leaks-are-not-the-problem-they-are-the-s_622025.jpg" --- # Leaks are not the problem; they are the symptom. They… ![“Leaks are not the problem; they are the symptom. They reveal a disconnect between what people want and need to know and what they actually do know. The greater the secrecy, the more likely a leak.” quote by Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/heather-brooke-9035_actually_leaks-are-not-the-problem-they-are-the-s_622025.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/heather-brooke-9035_actually_leaks-are-not-the-problem-they-are-the-s_622025.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/heather-brooke-9035_actually_leaks-are-not-the-problem-they-are-the-s_622025.jpg) > “Leaks are not the problem; they are the symptom. They reveal a disconnect between what people want and need to know and what they actually do know. The greater the secrecy, the more likely a leak.” [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaks expose a gap between public expectations and actual knowledge, showing that secrecy breeds information breaches. **In simple terms:** Leaks show hidden gaps between what people need to know and what is known. Key Takeaway Increase transparency to reduce leaks. Themes transparency information accountability Mood cautious analytical Type observational critical When to use this quote - government reporting - corporate communications - media investigations Key Concepts public trust knowledge gaps organizational secrecy Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations balance confidentiality with openness? - What policies reduce the need for leaks? A Different Perspective Leaks can be a symptom of deeper systemic issues, not just isolated incidents. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Between](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/between/) [Disconnect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disconnect/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Leak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leak/) [Leaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaks/) [Leaks Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaks-problem-5032141/) [Likely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likely/) [Likely Leak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likely-leak-5032140/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Reveal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reveal/) [Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy/) [Symptom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symptom/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [You can't control it once you turn it into the label, so there's the expectation that it'll leak a week before the album comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/you-can-t-control-it-once-you-turn-it-into-the-label-so-there-s-the/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [Every aquarium will eventually leak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-a-murphy-jr/every-aquarium-will-eventually-leak/) [Edward A. Murphy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-a-murphy-jr/) > [After weeks of watching the roof leak I fixed it tonight by moving a single board](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-snyder/after-weeks-of-watching-the-roof-leak-i-fixed-it-tonight-by-moving-a/) [Gary Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-snyder/) > [Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. Oh! The places you'll go!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/onward-up-many-a-frightening-creek-though-your-arms-may-get-sore-and/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [“First we lay out plastic bags under the leaks and cover them with towels or moving blankets. Then we put a spaghetti pot in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/first-we-lay-out-plastic-bags-under-the-leaks-and-cover-them-with/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [despite all our desperate, eternal attempts to separate, contain and mend, categories always leak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinh-t-minh-ha/despite-all-our-desperate-eternal-attempts-to-separate-contain-and/) [Trinh T. Minh-ha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinh-t-minh-ha/) > [We know there are lots of leaks everywhere. There's nothing we can do about that, except not leak ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/we-know-there-are-lots-of-leaks-everywhere-there-s-nothing-we-can-do/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [This morning of the small snow I count the blessings, the leak in the faucet which makes of the sink time, the drop of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/this-morning-of-the-small-snow-i-count-the-blessings-the-leak-in-the/) [Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/) > [“Everyone has these leaks, as the poker players call it. A leak is something that drains your income, something that has nothing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/everyone-has-these-leaks-as-the-poker-players-call-it-a-leak-is/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [We had a kettle; we let it leak: Our not repairing made it worse. We haven't had any tea for a week... The bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/we-had-a-kettle-we-let-it-leak-our-not-repairing-made-it-worse-we/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [There should be at least one leak like the Pentagon Papers every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/there-should-be-at-least-one-leak-like-the-pentagon-papers-every-year/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [An almost inexorable baseball law: A Red Sox ship with a single leak will always find a way to sink No team is worshipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-boswell/an-almost-inexorable-baseball-law-a-red-sox-ship-with-a-single-leak/) [Thomas Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-boswell/) > [I'm focused on leaks that hurt the institution of the president and the president himself. I understand we have to leak things to reporters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-m-focused-on-leaks-that-hurt-the-institution-of-the-president-and/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [One little leak becomes a lake, Says the tiny voice in my earpiece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/one-little-leak-becomes-a-lake-says-the-tiny-voice-in-my-earpiece/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [Jesus don't walk on water no more; his feet leak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/jesus-don-t-walk-on-water-no-more-his-feet-leak/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) ## More by Heather Brooke > [Newspapers are not free and they never have been. They can appear to be so, but someone, somewhere is covering the costs whether that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/newspapers-are-not-free-and-they-never-have-been-they-can-appear-to/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [In Britain, it's bred into you, the idea that you can't really change anything, so why bother. When I went to school in America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/in-britain-it-s-bred-into-you-the-idea-that-you-can-t-really-change/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [There's a temptation not to vote at all as a protest, but it's definitely not a protest. In fact, all it does is keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/there-s-a-temptation-not-to-vote-at-all-as-a-protest-but-it-s/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [There are corporate private investigators, companies doing very forensic background checks on people. 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Now I work in the U.K. where there is a more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/i-trained-as-a-journalist-in-america-where-paying-sources-is-frowned/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [Democracy isn't just for people in the Middle East, but Britons, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/democracy-isn-t-just-for-people-in-the-middle-east-but-britons-too/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [I like to write books and cause trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/i-like-to-write-books-and-cause-trouble/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [In whose interest is it to hype up the collapse of the Internet from a DDoS attack? Why, the people who provide cyber security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/in-whose-interest-is-it-to-hype-up-the-collapse-of-the-internet-from/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [I pine for a return to the type of old-school journalism and the tough newspapermen and women of the Thirties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/i-pine-for-a-return-to-the-type-of-old-school-journalism-and-the/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [The movement towards radical transparency and accountability has been gaining steam for several decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/the-movement-towards-radical-transparency-and-accountability-has-been/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [Traditional publishers require an author to submit a manuscript six months in advance, and if pressed, no later than two or three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/traditional-publishers-require-an-author-to-submit-a-manuscript-six/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [I've always worked on the fringe of the British press establishment, carving out this niche for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/i-ve-always-worked-on-the-fringe-of-the-british-press-establishment/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [A generation of people are being radicalised by the criminalisation of information sharing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/a-generation-of-people-are-being-radicalised-by-the-criminalisation/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) [Explore all 75 Heather Brooke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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