--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Smart people duck when they hear the…" description: "\"Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.\" — Judith Martin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/judith-martin-1927_announcements_smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dre_10912.png" --- # Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement… ![“Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.” quote by Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/judith-martin-1927_announcements_smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dre_10912.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/judith-martin-1927_announcements_smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dre_10912.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/judith-martin-1927_announcements_smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dre_10912.png) > “Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.” [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often avoid confronting uncomfortable truths, preferring to sidestep difficult honesty. **In simple terms:** Avoiding harsh honesty Key Takeaway Honesty can be unsettling Themes psychology communication social dynamics truth vulnerability Mood reflective cautious wry Type observation advice humor When to use this quote - receiving criticism - confessing a mistake - delivering bad news - negotiating a deal Key Concepts cognitive dissonance self-protection social avoidance Practical Applications - coaching - conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - Why do we fear honest feedback? - How can we create safe spaces for truth? A Different Perspective Sometimes confronting truth directly can foster growth and trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Ducks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ducks/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-people/) ## Related quotes > [To be perfectly honest, I've gotten attention from gay men for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walton/to-be-perfectly-honest-i-ve-gotten-attention-from-gay-men-for-a-long/) [David Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walton/) > [If I was being perfectly honest, which I'm not going to be, I think the movie touches on a lot of things that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/if-i-was-being-perfectly-honest-which-i-m-not-going-to-be-i-think-the/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [Integrity is not about being perfect all the time its about being perfectly honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/integrity-is-not-about-being-perfect-all-the-time-its-about-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She wasn't a prude. Not really. She liked sex a lot. More now than she had ten minutes ago, to be perfectly honest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisey-yates/she-wasn-t-a-prude-not-really-she-liked-sex-a-lot-more-now-than-she/) [Maisey Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisey-yates/) > [“Somehow I get the idea that being whole is about being perfectly consistent. I'd rather we be perfectly honest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/somehow-i-get-the-idea-that-being-whole-is-about-being-perfectly/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [I don't like the fact that C.F.P.B. exists, I will be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-mulvaney/i-don-t-like-the-fact-that-c-f-p-b-exists-i-will-be-perfectly-honest/) [Mick Mulvaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-mulvaney/) > [“She said that in writing anything, you must be perfectly honest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-choyce/she-said-that-in-writing-anything-you-must-be-perfectly-honest/) [Lesley Choyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-choyce/) > [To be perfectly honest, I'm competitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-white/to-be-perfectly-honest-i-m-competitive/) [Mike White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-white/) > [To be perfectly honest with you, I think that The Darkness is a joke, and that's, unfortunately, exactly what the world wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-draiman/to-be-perfectly-honest-with-you-i-think-that-the-darkness-is-a-joke/) [David Draiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-draiman/) > [But which was the real me? Let me be perfectly honest: I was a man of many faces. (p.33)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/but-which-was-the-real-me-let-me-be-perfectly-honest-i-was-a-man-of/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“To be perfectly honest, I enjoy thinking dangerously”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-henderson/to-be-perfectly-honest-i-enjoy-thinking-dangerously/) JImmy Henderson > [I don't think there are many jobs that would have tempted me away from Fulham, to be perfectly honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hodgson/i-don-t-think-there-are-many-jobs-that-would-have-tempted-me-away/) [Roy Hodgson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-hodgson/) > [I have to be perfectly honest: You should have an anniversary to acknowledge the way I work the ebonics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-pun/i-have-to-be-perfectly-honest-you-should-have-an-anniversary-to/) [Big Pun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-pun/) > [“I came to the party with the sole purpose of getting completely shit-faced, to be perfectly honest. That was it, that was The Plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-henderson/i-came-to-the-party-with-the-sole-purpose-of-getting-completely-shit/) [J.C. Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-henderson/) > [To be perfectly honest, I feel I have a duty to use my celebrity status in a positive way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-schwimmer/to-be-perfectly-honest-i-feel-i-have-a-duty-to-use-my-celebrity-2/) [David Schwimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-schwimmer/) ## More by Judith Martin > [If you put together all the ingredients that naturally attract children - sex, violence, revenge, spectacle and vigorous noise - what you have is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/if-you-put-together-all-the-ingredients-that-naturally-attract/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [The one prediction that never comes true is, 'You'll thank me for telling you this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/the-one-prediction-that-never-comes-true-is-you-ll-thank-me-for/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/chaperons-even-in-their-days-of-glory-were-almost-never-able-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [There are always proper responses, even to rude questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/there-are-always-proper-responses-even-to-rude-questions/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Perhaps the greatest rudenesses of our time come not from the callousness of strangers, but from the solicitousness of intimates who believe that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/perhaps-the-greatest-rudenesses-of-our-time-come-not-from-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [We are all entitled to our little harmless habits, but we are not entitled to demand approval for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/we-are-all-entitled-to-our-little-harmless-habits-but-we-are-not/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [“Lady” is not used before the lady’s first name unless she is the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl; those who come by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/lady-is-not-used-before-the-lady-s-first-name-unless-she-is-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Greece is a good place for rebirths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/greece-is-a-good-place-for-rebirths/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Adorable children are considered to be the general property of the human race. Rude children belong to their mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/adorable-children-are-considered-to-be-the-general-property-of-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [I have always believed that the key to a happy marriage was the ability to say with a straight face, 'Why, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/i-have-always-believed-that-the-key-to-a-happy-marriage-was-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [It is, indeed, a trial to maintain the virtue of humility when one can't help being right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/it-is-indeed-a-trial-to-maintain-the-virtue-of-humility-when-one-can/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Honesty is a virtue, but not the only one. If you're in a courtroom you need the whole truth and nothing but the truth;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/honesty-is-a-virtue-but-not-the-only-one-if-you-re-in-a-courtroom-you/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Only a person who considers himself too good for you is good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/only-a-person-who-considers-himself-too-good-for-you-is-good-enough/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Society cannot exist without etiquette ... It never has, and until our own century, everybody knew that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/society-cannot-exist-without-etiquette-it-never-has-and-until-our-own/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [The stress of making small talk with in-laws is called being part of a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/the-stress-of-making-small-talk-with-in-laws-is-called-being-part-of/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) [Explore all 197 Judith Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## More Announcements quotes > [When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-personal-freedom-s-being-abused-you-have-to-move-to-limit-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [We welcome the Election Commission's announcement of a five-phase poll in the state. We will abide by all the guidelines and directives issued by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mamata-banerjee/we-welcome-the-election-commission-s-announcement-of-a-five-phase/) [Mamata Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mamata-banerjee/) > [the announcement that you are going to tell a good story (and the chuckle that precedes it) is always a dangerous opening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-asquith/the-announcement-that-you-are-going-to-tell-a-good-story-and-the/) [Margot Asquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-asquith/) > [In addition to fines, violators of decency standards could be required to air public service announcements serving educational and informational needs of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-w-pickering/in-addition-to-fines-violators-of-decency-standards-could-be-required/) [Charles W. Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-w-pickering/) > [I ejaculated about ten minutes ago and the stuff was black. So everything is not normal." Silence greeted that happy little announcement. Man, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/i-ejaculated-about-ten-minutes-ago-and-the-stuff-was-black-so/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [We commend GM for being the first out of the starting gate in the Great Plug-In Car Race of 2007. GM's announcements are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-kramer/we-commend-gm-for-being-the-first-out-of-the-starting-gate-in-the/) Felix Kramer > [Innovating Women is more important today than ever. Things are changing for the better. The recent announcements by Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo, and Facebook of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-wadhwa/innovating-women-is-more-important-today-than-ever-things-are/) [Vivek Wadhwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-wadhwa/) > [It seems like it has kind of taken off where people are saying 'oh it's a female character' and it just kind of grew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiji-aonuma/it-seems-like-it-has-kind-of-taken-off-where-people-are-saying-oh-it/) [Eiji Aonuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiji-aonuma/) > [Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge made that critical leap from 'be afraid' to 'be very afraid,' raising the terrorist threat level to orange for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/homeland-security-chief-tom-ridge-made-that-critical-leap-from-be/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [Donald Trump is talking about running for president. He hasn't made an announcement, but I want to tell you something. The fake suspense is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/donald-trump-is-talking-about-running-for-president-he-hasn-t-made-an/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Once you're heterosexual and comfortable with that, you don't need to take out an announcement every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bernhard/once-you-re-heterosexual-and-comfortable-with-that-you-don-t-need-to/) [Sandra Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bernhard/) > [Public service announcement: In case of a terrorist attack, bottled water and duct tape are not going to do a damn thing. So do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/public-service-announcement-in-case-of-a-terrorist-attack-bottled/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [In actual fact, I wanted to be an actor, but I was a lawyer, and I was a week away from qualifying and was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/in-actual-fact-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-but-i-was-a-lawyer-and-i-was-a/) [Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/) > [Pack the one bag. Unpack it, pack it, unpack it, pack it: passeport, ticket, book, taxi, airport, check-in, beer, announcement, stairs, airplane, fasten seat-belt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/pack-the-one-bag-unpack-it-pack-it-unpack-it-pack-it-passeport-ticket/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [But what exceeds all wonders, I have discovered four new planets and observed their proper and particular motions, different among themselves and from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/but-what-exceeds-all-wonders-i-have-discovered-four-new-planets-and/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) Browse all 152 Announcements quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith Martin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Announcements" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/judith-martin-1927_announcements_smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dre_10912.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/judith-martin-1927_announcements_smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dre_10912.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/judith-martin-1927_announcements_smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dre_10912.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.” — Judith Martin", "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": "Judith Martin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Smart people duck when they hear...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/#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 } } ] } ```