--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unfortunately, this category of secret is…" description: "\"“Unfortunately, this category of secret is itself so secret that it's very existance is secret, and he can't actually reveal it to anyone.”\" — Neal Ste..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/neal-stephenson-362_secret_unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is_2152389.png" --- # Unfortunately, this category of secret is itself so secret… ![“Unfortunately, this category of secret is itself so secret that it's very existance is secret, and he can't actually reveal it to anyone.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/neal-stephenson-362_secret_unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is_2152389.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/neal-stephenson-362_secret_unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is_2152389.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/neal-stephenson-362_secret_unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is_2152389.png) > ““Unfortunately, this category of secret is itself so secret that it's very existance is secret, and he can't actually reveal it to anyone.”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A comment on the paradox of a secret so hidden that its existence is itself secret, making it impossible to reveal. **In simple terms:** Some secrets are too hidden to be disclosed. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of knowledge and secrecy. Themes mystery knowledge paradox Mood thoughtful intriguing Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - cryptography - intelligence analysis - philosophical debate - fiction writing Key Concepts epistemology information theory security Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean for a secret to be unknowable? - How does secrecy affect power dynamics? A Different Perspective Secrets may be fabricated or exaggerated, undermining trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Category Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/category-secret-4531420/) [Existance Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existance-secret-4531419/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-actually-1386808/) [Secret Existance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-existance-4531418/) [Secret Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-secret-802433/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes when we think we are keeping a secret, the secret is actually keeping us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-warren/sometimes-when-we-think-we-are-keeping-a-secret-the-secret-is/) [Frank Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-warren/) > [Secrets affect you more than you’d think. You lie to keep them hidden. You steer talk away from them. You worry someone’ll discover yours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/secrets-affect-you-more-than-you-d-think-you-lie-to-keep-them-hidden/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [The best way to hear somebody else's secret is actually to share one of your true secrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-warren/the-best-way-to-hear-somebody-else-s-secret-is-actually-to-share-one/) [Frank Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-warren/) > [After I won in Beijing I chatted with a lot of Indian athletes and they were interested and keen to know what I did.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-bindra/after-i-won-in-beijing-i-chatted-with-a-lot-of-indian-athletes-and/) [Abhinav Bindra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-bindra/) > [“Too many people were finding things out about you—you needed to be more careful, but you didn’t seem worried. A secret is only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/too-many-people-were-finding-things-out-about-you-you-needed-to-be/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [Funny how I keep my love for you a secret. Its a secret as mysterious as the 11 herbs and spices used in KFC chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-me-ez/funny-how-i-keep-my-love-for-you-a-secret-its-a-secret-as-mysterious/) [Denise Meñez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-me-ez/) > [If you tell a friend a secret, she will keep the secret by telling only one other person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-birnbach/if-you-tell-a-friend-a-secret-she-will-keep-the-secret-by-telling/) [Lisa Birnbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-birnbach/) > [This is the secret, THE secret ... De-automatize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-is-the-secret-the-secret-de-automatize/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The secret is that there is no secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/the-secret-is-that-there-is-no-secret/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [I really don't have any secrets. I've never met a photographer whose work I respected that had a secret because the secret lies within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-really-don-t-have-any-secrets-i-ve-never-met-a-photographer-whose/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [The secret, which is not so secret after all, is that the people who we love live on in our hearts, in the beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-rose/the-secret-which-is-not-so-secret-after-all-is-that-the-people-who-we/) [M.J. Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-rose/) > [A secret is a secret in my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/a-secret-is-a-secret-in-my-mind/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [“I'm going to tell you a secret. A secret I've never told anybody. I, Ignazio Vitale, have always been afraid of the dark. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/i-m-going-to-tell-you-a-secret-a-secret-i-ve-never-told-anybody-i/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [A picture is a secret about a secret, the more it tells you the less you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/a-picture-is-a-secret-about-a-secret-the-more-it-tells-you-the-less/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [It was their secret, a secret meant for just the two of them, and she'd never been able to imagine how it would sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/it-was-their-secret-a-secret-meant-for-just-the-two-of-them-and-she-d/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Secret quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/) [Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [“By so giving up, of course, it renews itself- that is the secret”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/by-so-giving-up-of-course-it-renews-itself-that-is-the-secret/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I have a lot of secret uses for sour cream, which is the magic ingredient in my mac and cheese. It's an old-timey, Southern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-deen/i-have-a-lot-of-secret-uses-for-sour-cream-which-is-the-magic/) [Paula Deen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-deen/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [A place has almost the shyness of a person, with strangers; and its secret is not to be surprised by a too direct interrogation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/a-place-has-almost-the-shyness-of-a-person-with-strangers-and-its/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,” Peter explained, “but that we should go ahead and draw for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/when-i-talked-to-him-earlier-he-said-he-had-to-work-tonight-peter/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [I don't know if it's naivete or just narcissism, but I start out with this notion that I can do anything. It's not until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-naivete-or-just-narcissism-but-i-start-out-with/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Browse all 8,958 Secret quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Unfortunately, this category of secret is itself so secret that it's very existance is secret, and he can't actually reveal it to anyone.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is-itself-so-secret-that-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Secret" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is-itself-so-secret-that-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/neal-stephenson-362_secret_unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is_2152389.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/neal-stephenson-362_secret_unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is_2152389.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/neal-stephenson-362_secret_unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is_2152389.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Unfortunately, this category of secret is itself so secret that it's very existance is secret, and he can't…” — Neal Stephenson", "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": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Unfortunately, this category of secret is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is-itself-so-secret-that-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/unfortunately-this-category-of-secret-is-itself-so-secret-that-it-s/#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 } } ] } ```