--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there was one thing I had never been…" description: "\"If there was one thing I had never been, it was mysterious, and if there was one thing I had never done, it was not talk.\" — Lauren Bacall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/lauren-bacall-2297_done_if-there-was-one-thing-i-had-never-been_1685819.png" --- # If there was one thing I had never been, it was… ![“If there was one thing I had never been, it was mysterious, and if there was one thing I had never done, it was not talk.” quote by Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/lauren-bacall-2297_done_if-there-was-one-thing-i-had-never-been_1685819.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/lauren-bacall-2297_done_if-there-was-one-thing-i-had-never-been_1685819.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/lauren-bacall-2297_done_if-there-was-one-thing-i-had-never-been_1685819.png) > “If there was one thing I had never been, it was mysterious, and if there was one thing I had never done, it was not talk.” [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She never wanted to be mysterious and never refrained from speaking. **In simple terms:** She avoided mystery and always spoke. Key Takeaway Speak openly, avoid secrecy. Themes communication authenticity self‑expression Mood confident direct Type personal motivational When to use this quote - public speaking - networking - personal relationships Key Concepts Candidness personal branding social interaction Questions to Reflect On - When is silence valuable? - How does openness affect relationships? A Different Perspective Over‑sharing can have risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) ## Related quotes > [I guess it's a romanticised, 'cool' thing to be mysterious, so I'm down for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-g/i-guess-it-s-a-romanticised-cool-thing-to-be-mysterious-so-i-m-down/) [Alex G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-g/) > [“A fairy's heart is a mysterious thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-strauss/a-fairy-s-heart-is-a-mysterious-thing/) Elle Strauss > [Creativity is not a mysterious thing, it's a historical thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/creativity-is-not-a-mysterious-thing-it-s-a-historical-thing/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [“As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/as-a-rule-the-more-bizarre-a-thing-is-the-less-mysterious-it-proves-2/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is, the less mysterious it proves to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/as-a-rule-the-more-bizarre-a-thing-is-the-less-mysterious-it-proves/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [As a rule, said Holmes, the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/as-a-rule-said-holmes-the-more-bizarre-a-thing-is-the-less-mysterious/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“What is it we recognize? The soul is a mysterious thing. It's no less mysterious for me, though I've seen my own and others'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/what-is-it-we-recognize-the-soul-is-a-mysterious-thing-it-s-no-less/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“What is it?’ said Moomintroll. Discoveries were his very favourite thing (after mysterious paths, swimming and secrets, that is).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-it-said-moomintroll-discoveries-were-his-very-favourite-thing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is a mysterious thing, the loss of faith—as mysterious as faith itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-is-a-mysterious-thing-the-loss-of-faith-as-mysterious-as-faith/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [What a mysterious thing madness is. I have watched patients whose lips are forever sealed in a perpetual silence. 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I look back at those first plays I did and the first movies I did, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/here-s-the-most-mysterious-thing-to-me-i-look-back-at-those-first/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [Happiness is a mysterious thing, to be found somewhere between too little and too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/happiness-is-a-mysterious-thing-to-be-found-somewhere-between-too/) [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) > [It's still a mysterious thing, making music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-kerr/it-s-still-a-mysterious-thing-making-music/) [Jim Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-kerr/) > [What is this mysterious thing, sleep, that you speak of? Please introduce me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaliana-dietrich/what-is-this-mysterious-thing-sleep-that-you-speak-of-please/) [Kaliana Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaliana-dietrich/) ## More by Lauren Bacall > [No, I don't like legend. I mean, I don't like the category. And to begin with, to me, a legend is something that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/no-i-don-t-like-legend-i-mean-i-don-t-like-the-category-and-to-begin/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [Losing Bogey was horrible, obviously. Because he was young. And because he gave me my life. I wouldn't have had a - I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/losing-bogey-was-horrible-obviously-because-he-was-young-and-because/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [Very few people want to hear the truth. Bogie was like that, my mother was like that, and I'm like that. I believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/very-few-people-want-to-hear-the-truth-bogie-was-like-that-my-mother/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I don't consider myself a great actress. I'm just trying to stay alive, actually. I think I'm good, and I've learned a lot, certainly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-great-actress-i-m-just-trying-to-stay-alive/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I wasn't brought up as a society girl to go to balls and be a debutante and marry the social set and money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-wasn-t-brought-up-as-a-society-girl-to-go-to-balls-and-be-a/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [He named me. He liked the sound of it. And I said, well, all right. I felt a little odd about it. 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If you weren't the hottest kid in town, men stayed away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/film-is-not-a-woman-s-medium-if-you-weren-t-the-hottest-kid-in-town/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/imagination-is-the-highest-kite-one-can-fly/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I finally felt that I came into my own when I went on the stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-finally-felt-that-i-came-into-my-own-when-i-went-on-the-stage/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [It's inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially, but I think it's kind of a sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/it-s-inappropriate-and-vulgar-and-absolutely-unacceptable-to-use-your/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I suppose there are times when I can't believe that I've lived the way that I have and done the things that I've done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-suppose-there-are-times-when-i-can-t-believe-that-i-ve-lived-the/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I have made mistakes in the past and been in movies that really weren't good, and that I needed the money at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-have-made-mistakes-in-the-past-and-been-in-movies-that-really-weren/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [ Everything in this country \[the US\] has got to be good looks and unlined faces and thin bodies and people running around in skirts… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/everything-in-this-country-the-us-has-got-to-be-good-looks-and/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [In actual fact, I've never been one, even from childhood, to kind of analyze myself very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/in-actual-fact-i-ve-never-been-one-even-from-childhood-to-kind-of/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) [Explore all 173 Lauren Bacall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. 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Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. 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