--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't call yourself a secret unless you…" description: "\"Don't call yourself a secret unless you mean to keep it.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/leonard-cohen-448_mean_don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you_1527079.jpg" --- # Don't call yourself a secret unless you mean to keep it. ![“Don't call yourself a secret unless you mean to keep it.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/leonard-cohen-448_mean_don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you_1527079.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/leonard-cohen-448_mean_don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you_1527079.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/leonard-cohen-448_mean_don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you_1527079.jpg) > “Don't call yourself a secret unless you mean to keep it.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping secrets requires intentional secrecy; otherwise the label is false. **In simple terms:** Secrets need true concealment. Key Takeaway Be honest about what you hide. Themes privacy trust integrity communication Mood introspective cautious Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - personal relationships - professional confidentiality - online data Key Concepts psychology ethics social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Why keep secrets? - When is secrecy justified? A Different Perspective Secrets can erode trust if revealed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Don Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-secret-5657059/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret Unless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-unless-1694992/) [Unless Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-mean-484867/) ## Related quotes > [“It's isn't a secret, unless keeping it hurts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/it-s-isn-t-a-secret-unless-keeping-it-hurts/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [A secret isn't a secret unless you've ruined someone's life by telling it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/a-secret-isn-t-a-secret-unless-you-ve-ruined-someone-s-life-by/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Two people cannot keep a secret unless one of them is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-queen/two-people-cannot-keep-a-secret-unless-one-of-them-is-dead/) [Derek Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-queen/) > [It isn't a secret, unless keeping it hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/it-isn-t-a-secret-unless-keeping-it-hurts/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [“A secret isn't a secret unless you keep it to yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-carmel/a-secret-isn-t-a-secret-unless-you-keep-it-to-yourself/) [Marissa Carmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-carmel/) > [Love is a stronge word to use but don't use it unless you mean it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jada-adams/love-is-a-stronge-word-to-use-but-don-t-use-it-unless-you-mean-it/) [Jada Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jada-adams/) > [Speak not of my debts unless you mean to pay them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/speak-not-of-my-debts-unless-you-mean-to-pay-them/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Don't say you love me unless you mean it because I might do something stupid...like believe it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-say-you-love-me-unless-you-mean-it-because-i-might-do-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [MY rule is never to be rude to anyone unless you mean it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/my-rule-is-never-to-be-rude-to-anyone-unless-you-mean-it/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [Dont say I love you unless you mean it, because I might do something crazy like believe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-say-i-love-you-unless-you-mean-it-because-i-might-do-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dont say u love me unless u mean it cause I'm might do something stupid like belive it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-say-u-love-me-unless-u-mean-it-cause-i-m-might-do-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never smile unless I mean it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donny-osmond/i-never-smile-unless-i-mean-it/) [Donny Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donny-osmond/) > [Don't say you love me unless you mean it. Because I could do something crazy... like believe it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazz/don-t-say-you-love-me-unless-you-mean-it-because-i-could-do-something/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazz/) > [Don't say it unless you mean it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/musa-nkutha/don-t-say-it-unless-you-mean-it/) [Musa Nkutha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/musa-nkutha/) > [I will never say I love you unless I mean it 100%.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cash-boy/i-will-never-say-i-love-you-unless-i-mean-it-100/) [Cash Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cash-boy/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Mean quotes > [That we have the vote means nothing. That we use it in the right way means everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-henry-hoover/that-we-have-the-vote-means-nothing-that-we-use-it-in-the-right-way/) [Lou Henry Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-henry-hoover/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Being blonde, for me, means never having to say: 'I'll have the honey-striped half-head of highlights for £200,' to a bored colourist in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-johnson/being-blonde-for-me-means-never-having-to-say-i-ll-have-the-honey/) [Rachel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-johnson/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [What is a moderate interpretation of the text? Halfway between what it really means and what you'd like it to mean?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/what-is-a-moderate-interpretation-of-the-text-halfway-between-what-it/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/you-have-expressive-nationalism-i-mean-very-identity-driven-which/) [Subrahmanyam Jaishankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/) > [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) [Browse all 33,959 Mean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't call yourself a secret unless you mean to keep it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you-mean-to-keep-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mean" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you-mean-to-keep-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/leonard-cohen-448_mean_don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you_1527079.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/leonard-cohen-448_mean_don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you_1527079.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/leonard-cohen-448_mean_don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you_1527079.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't call yourself a secret unless you mean to keep it.” — Leonard Cohen", "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": "Leonard Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't call yourself a secret unless...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you-mean-to-keep-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-call-yourself-a-secret-unless-you-mean-to-keep-it/#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 } } ] } ```