--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect…" description: "\"To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect others to keep it is folly.\" — William Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/william-samuel-johnson-42151_expect_to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect_1505068.png" --- # To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect others to keep it… ![“To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect others to keep it is folly.” quote by William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/william-samuel-johnson-42151_expect_to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect_1505068.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/william-samuel-johnson-42151_expect_to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect_1505068.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/william-samuel-johnson-42151_expect_to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect_1505068.png) > “To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect others to keep it is folly.” [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping a secret yourself is wise; expecting others to keep it is foolish. **In simple terms:** Guard secrets yourself; others may betray. Key Takeaway Trust wisely, protect information. Themes trust wisdom secrecy human nature reliability Mood cautious thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - political negotiations - personal relationships - business deals Key Concepts ethical behavior risk management interpersonal relations Questions to Reflect On - When should you share a secret? - How do you assess someone's reliability? A Different Perspective Not all secrets need to be kept; some require disclosure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Folly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folly/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [To keep your secret is wisdom; but to expect others to keep it is folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-but-to-expect-others-to-keep-it-is-folly/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“kind, sad eyes that seemed to carry with them the secret wisdom of the earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-scotton/kind-sad-eyes-that-seemed-to-carry-with-them-the-secret-wisdom-of-the/) Christopher Scotton > [“O great and mighty Master Li, pray impart to me the Secret of Wisdom!" he bawled. "Take a large bowl," I said. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More by William Samuel Johnson > [I ... am endeavoring ... to attend to my own duty only as a Christian. ... let us take care that our Christianity, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/i-am-endeavoring-to-attend-to-my-own-duty-only-as-a-christian-let-us/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [Your first great duties, you are sensible, are those you owe to Heaven, to your Creator and Redeemer. Let these be ever present to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/your-first-great-duties-you-are-sensible-are-those-you-owe-to-heaven/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [It seems to be the fate of man to seek all his consolations in futurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/it-seems-to-be-the-fate-of-man-to-seek-all-his-consolations-in-2/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/he-knows-not-his-own-strength-who-hath-not-met-adversity/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundrels/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [ Remember...that you are redeemed of the Lord \[Ephesians 1:7\]-that you are bought with a price \[1 Corinthians 6:20\], even the inestimable price of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/remember-that-you-are-redeemed-of-the-lord-ephesians-1-7-that-you-are/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [Make Him your friend and protector and your felicity is secured both here and hereafter. 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That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) Senoraroy > [Beare with evill, and expect good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/beare-with-evill-and-expect-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/therefore-you-also-must-be-ready-for-the-son-of-man-is-coming-at-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People expect more and more every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/people-expect-more-and-more-every-time/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [“Love is promising to give someone everything and not expect anything in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hart/love-is-promising-to-give-someone-everything-and-not-expect-anything/) [Emma Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hart/) > [I wanted to make a place for filmmakers and artists to come and 'do their stuff,' but I didn't expect it to have had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-anderson/i-wanted-to-make-a-place-for-filmmakers-and-artists-to-come-and-do/) [Tom Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-anderson/) > [Parents should have perfect control over their own spirits, and with mildness and yet firmness bend the will of the child until it shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/parents-should-have-perfect-control-over-their-own-spirits-and-with/) [Ellen G. 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I thought 19.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/i-didn-t-expect-i-will-get-the-arjuna-at-18-years-i-thought-19/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [“Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/maybe-who-we-are-isn-t-so-much-about-what-we-do-but-rather-what-we-re/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Sometimes when you least expect it, hope wiggles into your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-plourde/sometimes-when-you-least-expect-it-hope-wiggles-into-your-heart/) [Lynn Plourde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-plourde/) > [I laid my life on the line, so I expect nothing less from you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/i-laid-my-life-on-the-line-so-i-expect-nothing-less-from-you/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) Browse all 2,143 Expect quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect others to keep it is folly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect-others-to-keep-it-is-folly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect-others-to-keep-it-is-folly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/william-samuel-johnson-42151_expect_to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect_1505068.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/william-samuel-johnson-42151_expect_to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect_1505068.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/william-samuel-johnson-42151_expect_to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect_1505068.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect others to keep it is folly.” — William Samuel Johnson", "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": "William Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To keep your secret is wisdom;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect-others-to-keep-it-is-folly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect-others-to-keep-it-is-folly/#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 } } ] } ```