--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The public scandal is what constitutes…" description: "\"The public scandal is what constitutes the offence: sins sinned in secret are no sins at all.\" — Moliere" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/moliere-965_offence_the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-t_1351106.png" --- # The public scandal is what constitutes the offence: sins… ![“The public scandal is what constitutes the offence: sins sinned in secret are no sins at all.” quote by Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/moliere-965_offence_the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-t_1351106.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/moliere-965_offence_the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-t_1351106.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/moliere-965_offence_the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-t_1351106.png) > “The public scandal is what constitutes the offence: sins sinned in secret are no sins at all.” [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public scandals are judged harshly, while hidden sins are often overlooked, highlighting societal double standards. **In simple terms:** Public wrongdoing gets more attention than secret sins. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden faults, not just public ones. Themes hypocrisy morality public perception Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - legal cases - corporate misconduct - personal relationships - political scandals Key Concepts ethics social judgment Questions to Reflect On - What hidden issues need attention? - How does public scrutiny affect behavior? A Different Perspective Focusing only on scandals can ignore deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Offence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offence/) [Scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandal/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) ## Related quotes > [To create a public scandal is what's wicked; to sin in private is not a sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/to-create-a-public-scandal-is-what-s-wicked-to-sin-in-private-is-not/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [It is the public scandal that offends; to sin in secret is no sin at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/it-is-the-public-scandal-that-offends-to-sin-in-secret-is-no-sin-at/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [It is a public scandal that offends; to sin in secret is no sin at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/it-is-a-public-scandal-that-offends-to-sin-in-secret-is-no-sin-at-all/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [The scandal of the world is what makes the offence; it is not sinful to sin in silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-scandal-of-the-world-is-what-makes-the-offence-it-is-not-sinful/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [We have come to think of taking offence as a fundamental right. We value very little more highly than our rage, which gives us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/we-have-come-to-think-of-taking-offence-as-a-fundamental-right-we/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I was in Estonia when a professor asked me if I was aware that making any criticism of the Red Army during the war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-beevor/i-was-in-estonia-when-a-professor-asked-me-if-i-was-aware-that-making/) [Antony Beevor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-beevor/) > [On September 17, 1914, Erzberger, the well-known German statesman, an eminent member of the Catholic Party, wrote to the Minister of War, General von…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-clemenceau/on-september-17-1914-erzberger-the-well-known-german-statesman-an/) [Georges Clemenceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-clemenceau/) > [“Leaders create influence with the clays of criticism others throw at them. They don't take offence; they take corrections.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-create-influence-with-the-clays-of-criticism-others-throw-at/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“To know if someone can speak offensively or politely, don’t give him poem to recite; don’t give him a song to sing. Just engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/to-know-if-someone-can-speak-offensively-or-politely-don-t-give-him/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [What do you care? You always liked loneliness better than you liked people. No offence liking yourself's the beginning of all love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/what-do-you-care-you-always-liked-loneliness-better-than-you-liked/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [Now 'South Park' - they are interested in blasphemy. They're interested in creating offence for its own sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baddiel/now-south-park-they-are-interested-in-blasphemy-they-re-interested-in/) [David Baddiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baddiel/) > [It ought to be a criminal offence for women to dye their hair. Especially red. What the devil do women do that sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-ought-to-be-a-criminal-offence-for-women-to-dye-their-hair/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In such a time as this it is not meet That every nice offence should bear his comment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/in-such-a-time-as-this-it-is-not-meet-that-every-nice-offence-should/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Offence is like muddy soil; when trapped underfoot, it resists rapid progress. Don't trap offences under your mind, else you resist change! Jesus said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/offence-is-like-muddy-soil-when-trapped-underfoot-it-resists-rapid/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The Fraud Act 2006 makes it perfectly clear that Libor rigging is prosecutable as a criminal offence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-fraud-act-2006-makes-it-perfectly-clear-that-libor-rigging-is/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) ## More by Moliere > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Cover that bosom that I must not see: souls are wounded by such things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/cover-that-bosom-that-i-must-not-see-souls-are-wounded-by-such-things/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Outside of Paris, there is no hope for the cultured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/outside-of-paris-there-is-no-hope-for-the-cultured/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Even Rome cannot grant us a dispensation from death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/even-rome-cannot-grant-us-a-dispensation-from-death/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Anyone may be an honorable man, and yet write verse badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/anyone-may-be-an-honorable-man-and-yet-write-verse-badly/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [The beautiful eyes of my cash-box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-beautiful-eyes-of-my-cash-box/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [He makes his cook his merit, and the world visits his dinners and not him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/he-makes-his-cook-his-merit-and-the-world-visits-his-dinners-and-not/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Show some mercy to this chair which has stretched out its arms to you for so long; please satisfy its desire to embrace you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/show-some-mercy-to-this-chair-which-has-stretched-out-its-arms-to-you/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [In order to prove a friend to one's guests, frugality must reign in one's meals; and, according to an ancient saying, one must eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/in-order-to-prove-a-friend-to-one-s-guests-frugality-must-reign-in/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [In society one needs a flexible virtue; too much goodness can be blamable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/in-society-one-needs-a-flexible-virtue-too-much-goodness-can-be/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Some of the most famous books are the least worth reading. Their fame was due to their having done something that needed to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/some-of-the-most-famous-books-are-the-least-worth-reading-their-fame/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Assassination's the fastest way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/assassination-s-the-fastest-way/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Nothing can be fairer, or more noble, than the holy fervor of true zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/nothing-can-be-fairer-or-more-noble-than-the-holy-fervor-of-true-zeal/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Words and deeds are far from being one. Much that is talked about is left undone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/words-and-deeds-are-far-from-being-one-much-that-is-talked-about-is/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) [Explore all 291 Moliere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) ## More Offence quotes > [The Fraud Act 2006 makes it perfectly clear that Libor rigging is prosecutable as a criminal offence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-fraud-act-2006-makes-it-perfectly-clear-that-libor-rigging-is/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) > [“Offence is like muddy soil; when trapped underfoot, it resists rapid progress. Don't trap offences under your mind, else you resist change! Jesus said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/offence-is-like-muddy-soil-when-trapped-underfoot-it-resists-rapid/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [In such a time as this it is not meet That every nice offence should bear his comment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/in-such-a-time-as-this-it-is-not-meet-that-every-nice-offence-should/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It ought to be a criminal offence for women to dye their hair. Especially red. What the devil do women do that sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-ought-to-be-a-criminal-offence-for-women-to-dye-their-hair/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Now 'South Park' - they are interested in blasphemy. They're interested in creating offence for its own sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baddiel/now-south-park-they-are-interested-in-blasphemy-they-re-interested-in/) [David Baddiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baddiel/) > [What do you care? You always liked loneliness better than you liked people. No offence liking yourself's the beginning of all love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/what-do-you-care-you-always-liked-loneliness-better-than-you-liked/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [“To know if someone can speak offensively or politely, don’t give him poem to recite; don’t give him a song to sing. Just engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/to-know-if-someone-can-speak-offensively-or-politely-don-t-give-him/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Leaders create influence with the clays of criticism others throw at them. They don't take offence; they take corrections.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-create-influence-with-the-clays-of-criticism-others-throw-at/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [On September 17, 1914, Erzberger, the well-known German statesman, an eminent member of the Catholic Party, wrote to the Minister of War, General von…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-clemenceau/on-september-17-1914-erzberger-the-well-known-german-statesman-an/) [Georges Clemenceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-clemenceau/) > [I was in Estonia when a professor asked me if I was aware that making any criticism of the Red Army during the war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-beevor/i-was-in-estonia-when-a-professor-asked-me-if-i-was-aware-that-making/) [Antony Beevor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-beevor/) > [We have come to think of taking offence as a fundamental right. We value very little more highly than our rage, which gives us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/we-have-come-to-think-of-taking-offence-as-a-fundamental-right-we/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“No man lives without jostling and being jostled; in all ways he has to elbow himself through the world, giving and receiving offense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-man-lives-without-jostling-and-being-jostled-in-all-ways-he-has-to/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [There's a difference between maliciously offending somebody - on purpose - and somebody being offended by...truth. If you're offended by the truth, that's your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stine/there-s-a-difference-between-maliciously-offending-somebody-on/) [Brad Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stine/) > [When Bobby came into the league he was a rushing defenseman, a goal scorer and a point getter. He just opened the game up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-bucyk/when-bobby-came-into-the-league-he-was-a-rushing-defenseman-a-goal/) Johnny Bucyk > [Once I was on a plane and a woman said to me, 'Now, what's the matter with my tomatoes?' And I said, 'Well, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-titchmarsh/once-i-was-on-a-plane-and-a-woman-said-to-me-now-what-s-the-matter/) [Alan Titchmarsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-titchmarsh/) [Browse all 246 Offence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The public scandal is what constitutes the offence: sins sinned in secret are no sins at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Moliere" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-the-offence-sins-sinned-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Offence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-the-offence-sins-sinned-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/moliere-965_offence_the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-t_1351106.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/moliere-965_offence_the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-t_1351106.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c96/moliere-965_offence_the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-t_1351106.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The public scandal is what constitutes the offence: sins sinned in secret are no sins at all.” — Moliere", "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": "Moliere", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The public scandal is what constitutes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-the-offence-sins-sinned-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-public-scandal-is-what-constitutes-the-offence-sins-sinned-in/#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 } } ] } ```