--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only way to retrieve a secret,once…" description: "\"The only way to retrieve a secret,once known, is to replace it with a lie.\" — Orson Scott Card" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/orson-scott-card-134_lying_the-only-way-to-retrieve-a-secret-once-k_1254848.png" --- # The only way to retrieve a secret,once known, is to… ![“The only way to retrieve a secret,once known, is to replace it with a lie.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/orson-scott-card-134_lying_the-only-way-to-retrieve-a-secret-once-k_1254848.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/orson-scott-card-134_lying_the-only-way-to-retrieve-a-secret-once-k_1254848.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/orson-scott-card-134_lying_the-only-way-to-retrieve-a-secret-once-k_1254848.png) > “The only way to retrieve a secret,once known, is to replace it with a lie.” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Secrets become vulnerable once known; the only defense is to replace them with falsehoods. **In simple terms:** Replace known secrets with lies to protect them. Key Takeaway Use deception to guard sensitive information. Themes security deception information trust privacy Mood cautious strategic Type ethical practical When to use this quote - military intelligence - corporate data protection - personal privacy - political espionage Key Concepts cryptography psychology risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance secrecy and honesty? - When is deception justified? A Different Perspective Lies can erode trust and cause collateral damage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) ## Related quotes > [“this is the great secret, which was known to all educated men in our day: that by what men think, we create the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-zimmer-bradley/this-is-the-great-secret-which-was-known-to-all-educated-men-in-our/) [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-zimmer-bradley/) > [Something sinister in the tone Told me my secret must be known: Word I was in the house alone Somehow must have gotten abroad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/something-sinister-in-the-tone-told-me-my-secret-must-be-known-word-i/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [Reason is like an open secret that can become known to anyone at any time; it is the quiet space into which everyone can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-jaspers/reason-is-like-an-open-secret-that-can-become-known-to-anyone-at-any/) [Karl Jaspers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-jaspers/) > [It's no secret that me and New York got history. It's no secret. This is no secret. It's already known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/it-s-no-secret-that-me-and-new-york-got-history-it-s-no-secret-this/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [“We must tell the others what we learned from Wit, Ivory. Eventually, this secret must be known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/we-must-tell-the-others-what-we-learned-from-wit-ivory-eventually/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“You can lead and motivate people without a certificate or title, what you need to do is to tell people a compelling secret that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/you-can-lead-and-motivate-people-without-a-certificate-or-title-what/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [The secret known to two is no longer a secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/the-secret-known-to-two-is-no-longer-a-secret/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [It is often stupid to keep in secret something that will be known tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/it-is-often-stupid-to-keep-in-secret-something-that-will-be-known/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered and every secret will be made known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/whatever-is-now-covered-up-will-be-uncovered-and-every-secret-will-be/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [It is a secret known but to few, yet of no small use in the conduct of life, that when you fall into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-steele/it-is-a-secret-known-but-to-few-yet-of-no-small-use-in-the-conduct-of/) [Richard Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-steele/) > [ “Everything stayed hidden \[…\] it was all secret – known by anyone who cared to know, but unacknowledged, like a priest’s feverish brightness around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/everything-stayed-hidden-it-was-all-secret-known-by-anyone-who-cared/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [“For this is the great secret, which was known to all educated men in our day: that by what men think, we create the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-zimmer-bradley/for-this-is-the-great-secret-which-was-known-to-all-educated-men-in/) [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-zimmer-bradley/) > [Egnaro is a secret known to everyone but yourself. 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It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/egnaro-is-a-secret-known-to-everyone-but-yourself-it/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) ## More by Orson Scott Card > [“You underestimate yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-underestimate-yourself/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [We're like the wicked witch. 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If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) [Explore all 1,158 Orson Scott Card quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More Lying quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. 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It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ \[Islam\] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislation-in-an-islamic-state-because/) [Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [I just can’t, Nick, okay? Now, please give me a second to lie here in silence and bleed.” – Caleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-just-can-t-nick-okay-now-please-give-me-a-second-to-lie-here-in/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. 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