---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't ever tell anybody anything, or…"
description: "\"“Don't ever tell anybody anything, or you'll start missing everybody.”\" — J.D. Salinger"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/j-d-salinger-560_tell_don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you_610278.png"
---

#  Don't ever tell anybody anything, or you'll start missing…

![“Don't ever tell anybody anything, or you'll start missing everybody.” quote by J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/j-d-salinger-560_tell_don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you_610278.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/j-d-salinger-560_tell_don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you_610278.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/j-d-salinger-560_tell_don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you_610278.png)

> ““Don't ever tell anybody anything, or you'll start missing everybody.””

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Avoiding honesty leads to longing and loss; truth prevents emptiness.

**In simple terms:** Keeping secrets creates yearning.

Key Takeaway

Speak openly to avoid missing others.

Themes

loneliness truth emotional health

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- friendships
- romantic relationships
- family dynamics
- personal growth

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology communication

Questions to Reflect On

- What truths are you avoiding?
- How does sharing affect connection?

A Different Perspective

Honesty can also cause pain.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Don Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-tell/) [Missing Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missing-everybody-2342835/) [Start Missing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-missing-1619269/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Tell Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-anybody-277640/)

## Related quotes

> [Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you-do-you-start-missing-everybody/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“D.B. asked me what I thought about all this stuff I just finished telling you about. I didn't know what the hell to say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/d-b-asked-me-what-i-thought-about-all-this-stuff-i-just-finished/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“If you want to know the truth, I don't know what I think about it. I'm sorry I told so many people about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/if-you-want-to-know-the-truth-i-don-t-know-what-i-think-about-it-i-m/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [You don't have to tell anybody a damn thing you don't want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mink-stole/you-don-t-have-to-tell-anybody-a-damn-thing-you-don-t-want-to/)

[Mink Stole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mink-stole/)

> [I'm about to break the rules but don't tell anybody. I got something better than school, but don't tell anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-m-about-to-break-the-rules-but-don-t-tell-anybody-i-got-something/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

> [Life Lesson: If you don't want something to turn into a big deal, don't tell anybody in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/life-lesson-if-you-don-t-want-something-to-turn-into-a-big-deal-don-t/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [That's my advice to all homosexuals, whether they're in the Boy Scouts, or in the Army or in high school: Shut up, don't tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-my-advice-to-all-homosexuals-whether-they-re-in-the-boy-scouts/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't tell anybody else what to wear. I would never dream of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/i-don-t-tell-anybody-else-what-to-wear-i-would-never-dream-of-it/)

[Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/)

> [“Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everyone- Holden Caulfield”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you-do-you-start-missing/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [Rule number something or other -- never tell anybody anything unless you're going to get something better in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/rule-number-something-or-other-never-tell-anybody-anything-unless-you/)

[Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/)

> [Even if I see you for 72 hours straight, the second I let my eyes off you, I'll start missing you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beka-mackey/even-if-i-see-you-for-72-hours-straight-the-second-i-let-my-eyes-off/)

[Beka Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beka-mackey/)

> [You really know that your going down on the wrong road when you start MISSING that person you named Your EX-!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-d-r-l-testament/you-really-know-that-your-going-down-on-the-wrong-road-when-you-start/)

[Junior Dè Rèál Testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-d-r-l-testament/)

> [My body has finely balanced itself with my gruelling work schedules and if I occasionally get a break, I start missing my shoots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeeda-sheikh/my-body-has-finely-balanced-itself-with-my-gruelling-work-schedules/)

[Sanjeeda Sheikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeeda-sheikh/)

> [I don't know why but even when we stop talking, just for a little while, I start missing you right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-why-but-even-when-we-stop-talking-just-for-a-little-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You know life is short when you start missing what you ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-murimi/you-know-life-is-short-when-you-start-missing-what-you-ignored/)

[Alex Murimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-murimi/)

## More by J.D. Salinger

> [“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all… I'm standing on the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-keep-picturing-all-these-little-kids-playing-some-game-in-this-big/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“If you're a poet, you do something beautiful. I mean you're supposed to leave something beautiful after you get off the page and everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/if-you-re-a-poet-you-do-something-beautiful-i-mean-you-re-supposed-to/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was… The only thing that would be different would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/the-best-thing-though-in-that-museum-was-that-everything-always/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“And you make people nervous, young man," she said - most equably, for her. "You either take to somebody or you don't. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/and-you-make-people-nervous-young-man-she-said-most-equably-for-her/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“I still think that, in a way, I can't get past half my childhood dogmas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-still-think-that-in-a-way-i-can-t-get-past-half-my-childhood-dogmas/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“He stuck around till around dinnertime, talking about all the guys at Pencey that he hated their guts, and squeezing this big pimple on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/he-stuck-around-till-around-dinnertime-talking-about-all-the-guys-at/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“For example, when Seymour told one of the twins or Zooey or Franny or even Mme. Boo Boo (who was only two years younger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/for-example-when-seymour-told-one-of-the-twins-or-zooey-or-franny-or/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“One thing? One thing I like? Okay.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/one-thing-one-thing-i-like-okay/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“The cigars are ballast, sweetheart. Sheer ballast. If he didn’t have a cigar to hold on to, his feet would leave the ground. We’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/the-cigars-are-ballast-sweetheart-sheer-ballast-if-he-didn-t-have-a/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“They're just people that write poems that get published and anthologized all over the place but they're not poets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/they-re-just-people-that-write-poems-that-get-published-and/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“In certain Zen monasteries, it's a cardinal rule, if not the only serious enforced discipline, that when one monk calls out 'Hi!' to another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/in-certain-zen-monasteries-it-s-a-cardinal-rule-if-not-the-only/)

[j.d. salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“And I hate to tell you... but I think that once you have a fair idea where you want to go, your first move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/and-i-hate-to-tell-you-but-i-think-that-once-you-have-a-fair-idea/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [“Hi,' he said. He always said it like he was terrifically bored or terrifically tired. He didn't want you to think he was visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/hi-he-said-he-always-said-it-like-he-was-terrifically-bored-or/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [ “\[Y\]ou’re someone who took up birds in the first place because they fired your imagination; they fascinated you because ‘they seemed of all created… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/y-ou-re-someone-who-took-up-birds-in-the-first-place-because-they/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

[Explore all 416 J.D. Salinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

## More Tell quotes

> [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/)

[Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [Rule number something or other -- never tell anybody anything unless you're going to get something better in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/rule-number-something-or-other-never-tell-anybody-anything-unless-you/)

[Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/)

> [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-want-me-to-do-something-tell-me-i-can-t-do-it/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [We can never tell what is in store for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/we-can-never-tell-what-is-in-store-for-us/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [If You Don't Tell Yourself You Are Beautiful, Who Is?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-freshie/if-you-don-t-tell-yourself-you-are-beautiful-who-is/)

[Ms\_Freshie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ms-freshie/)

> [I always want to surprise audiences and tell stories that are entertaining and challenging at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hechinger/i-always-want-to-surprise-audiences-and-tell-stories-that-are/)

[Fred Hechinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hechinger/)

> [My work is a love for me; I'd do it for free, but don't tell my bosses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chick-hearn/my-work-is-a-love-for-me-i-d-do-it-for-free-but-don-t-tell-my-bosses/)

[Chick Hearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chick-hearn/)

> [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/)

[Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/)

> [I've had people call me and tell me, 'You've given me courage.' It's fantastic... it's heart-warming to know you can be a ray of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kubra-sait/i-ve-had-people-call-me-and-tell-me-you-ve-given-me-courage-it-s/)

[Kubra Sait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kubra-sait/)

> [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/)

[Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/)

> [Don't let other people tell you who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/don-t-let-other-people-tell-you-who-you-are/)

[Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/)

> [When a young artist asks me a question, I want to do what I can to give them an answer if I have it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tait/when-a-young-artist-asks-me-a-question-i-want-to-do-what-i-can-to/)

[Michael Tait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tait/)

[Browse all 6,348 Tell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Don't ever tell anybody anything, or you'll start missing everybody.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "J.D. Salinger"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you-ll-start-missing-everybody/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Tell"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you-ll-start-missing-everybody/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/j-d-salinger-560_tell_don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you_610278.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/j-d-salinger-560_tell_don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you_610278.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/j-d-salinger-560_tell_don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you_610278.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Don't ever tell anybody anything, or you'll start missing everybody.” — J.D. Salinger",
                "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": "J.D. Salinger",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Don't ever tell anybody anything, or...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you-ll-start-missing-everybody/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you-ll-start-missing-everybody/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
