--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you…" description: "\"“Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everyone- Holden Caulfield”\" — J.D. Salinger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/j-d-salinger-560_tell_dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you_1137473.png" --- # Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start… ![“Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everyone- Holden Caulfield” quote by J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/j-d-salinger-560_tell_dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you_1137473.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/j-d-salinger-560_tell_dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you_1137473.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/j-d-salinger-560_tell_dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you_1137473.png) > ““Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everyone- Holden Caulfield”” [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. Sharing secrets creates vulnerability and loss; secrecy preserves personal space **In simple terms:** Keeping secrets protects you Key Takeaway Guard your privacy Themes privacy vulnerability trust Mood introspective melancholic Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - online interactions Key Concepts Emotional intimacy self‑protection Questions to Reflect On - Do you fear being missed? - When is sharing beneficial? A Different Perspective Openness can foster deeper connections ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anybody Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anybody-start-3155230/) [Dont Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dont-tell/) [Missing Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missing-holden-3155229/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Tell Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-anybody-277640/) ## Related quotes > [“It’s what’s missing in all of this,” Holden said. “It’s what let things get this bad. We don’t see each other as people. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/it-s-what-s-missing-in-all-of-this-holden-said-it-s-what-let-things/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Don't ever tell anybody anything, or you'll start missing everybody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/don-t-ever-tell-anybody-anything-or-you-ll-start-missing-everybody/) [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/) > [Dont tell we are on our on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayla-poteat/dont-tell-we-are-on-our-on/) [Kayla Poteat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayla-poteat/) > [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/) > [When I say I wont tell anybody, my bestfriend doesn't count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-say-i-wont-tell-anybody-my-bestfriend-doesn-t-count/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are some things I cant tell anybody, except for those who aren't here anymore”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-some-things-i-cant-tell-anybody-except-for-those-who-aren-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have never known what to tell anybody. Except that it is better to do something than nothing, even if the cost is great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-nix/i-have-never-known-what-to-tell-anybody-except-that-it-is-better-to/) [Garth Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-nix/) > [I'm not here to tell anybody what to do. You live and learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marky-ramone/i-m-not-here-to-tell-anybody-what-to-do-you-live-and-learn/) [Marky Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marky-ramone/) > [I think the most important thing is to be yourself and be genuine and don't try to tell anybody else's story but your own.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-to-be-yourself-and-be-genuine-and/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) > [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/) > [I didn't tell anybody I retired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-bortles/i-didn-t-tell-anybody-i-retired/) [Blake Bortles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-bortles/) > [So the point is, I don't have a right to tell anybody what's right or wrong about their lives. Who am I to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-quivers/so-the-point-is-i-don-t-have-a-right-to-tell-anybody-what-s-right-or/) [Robin Quivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-quivers/) > [Won't tell anybody how you turn my world around. Won't tell anyone how your voice is my favourite sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-cole/won-t-tell-anybody-how-you-turn-my-world-around-won-t-tell-anyone-how/) [Cheryl Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-cole/) > [I would never tell anybody to get a divorce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessa-crispin/i-would-never-tell-anybody-to-get-a-divorce/) [Jessa Crispin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessa-crispin/) ## 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": "“Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everyone- Holden Caulfield”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.D. Salinger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you-do-you-start-missing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tell" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you-do-you-start-missing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/j-d-salinger-560_tell_dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you_1137473.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/j-d-salinger-560_tell_dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you_1137473.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/j-d-salinger-560_tell_dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you_1137473.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everyone- Holden Caulfield” — 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": "“Dont's ever tell anybody anything. If...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you-do-you-start-missing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/dont-s-ever-tell-anybody-anything-if-you-do-you-start-missing/#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 } } ] } ```