#secrecy

The vanity of being known to be trusted with a secret is generally one of the chief motives to disclose it; for, however absurd it may be thought to boast an honour by an act which shows that it was conferred without merit, yet most men seem rather inclined to confess the want of virtue than of importance. ↗

— Samuel Johnson

#self-importance #trustworthiness #vanity #men

The better the information it has, the better democracy works. Silence and secrecy are never good for it. ↗

— Kate Adie

#democracy #good #information #never #secrecy

Secrecy, being an instrument of conspiracy, ought never to be the system of a regular government. ↗

— Jeremy Bentham

#conspiracy #government #instrument #never #ought

In such a case secrecy must be absolute to be effective, and although mere vague curiosity induced many persons of my intimate acquaintance to ask to be allowed to just go in and have a peep, I never admitted anyone. ↗

— Henry Bessemer

#acquaintance #admitted #allowed #although #anyone

While all deception requires secrecy, all secrecy is not meant to deceive. ↗

— Sissela Bok

#deception #meant #requires #secrecy #while

The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy, but the best weapon of a democracy should be the weapon of openness. ↗

— Niels Bohr

#democracy #dictatorship #openness #secrecy #should

We are all, in a sense, experts on secrecy. From earliest childhood we feel its mystery and attraction. We know both the power it confers and the burden it imposes. We learn how it can delight, give breathing space and protect. ↗

— Sissela Bok

#both #breathing #burden #childhood #confers

Whatever hysteria exists is inflamed by mystery, suspicion and secrecy. Hard and exact facts will cool it. ↗

— Elia Kazan

#exact #exists #facts #hard #hysteria

Very strange things comes to our knowledge in families, miss; bless your heart, what you would think to be phenomenons, quite ... Aye, and even in gen-teel families, in high families, in great families ... and you have no idea ... what games goes on! ↗

— Charles Dickens

#detectives #families #family-life #gentility #hidden-guilt

Oracle, for example, has even hired people to dumpster dive for information about its competitor, Microsoft. It's not even illegal, because trash isn't covered by data secrecy laws. ↗

— Kevin Mitnick

#because #competitor #covered #data #dive