Business Quote by Lord Chesterfield
“Pocket all your knowledge with your watch, and never pull it out in company unless desired.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: Advice to his son, 1735
Advice to keep knowledge private unless you choose to share it, preserving discretion and control over information.
In simple terms: Keep knowledge private unless you want to share.
Key Takeaway
Share selectively, protect your reputation.
Themes
discretion
privacy
communication
Mood
cautious
thoughtful
Type
advice
maxetical
When to use this quote
- business meetings
- social gatherings
- networking events
Key Concepts
social etiquette
self‑control
Questions to Reflect On
- When is it better to share knowledge openly?
- How does privacy affect trust?
A Different Perspective
May limit openness and hinder collaboration if over‑applied.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)