Discretion Quotes

“The number of things he thought of saying all at once nearly suffocated him.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

“But nothing will persuade me that the mere fact of being in a place is enough in itself to justify the effort of getting out of bed to become a tourist, or even a traveller. I don't have the slightest wish to be intrepid. I don't want to prove myself to myself or anyone else. I don't care if no one thinks me brave or hardy. I have no concern at all that I did not have whatever it is I should have had to take a dive out of a plane or off a building. None of that matters to me in the least.”
― Jenny Diski, On Trying to Keep Still

“Starting over begins when I develop a reawakened appreciation for what I already have, a renewed recognition of what I’ve recklessly forsaken, a rehabilitated understanding that I foolishly do both of those things, and a revitalized commitment to live the rest of my life never doing either of them again.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

“Impulsivity is something akin to spontaneously jumping out of an airplane and not realizing that you forgot something until about five seconds before impact.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

“A wholesome fear would be a fit guardian for the citizens.”
― Augustine of Hippo, City of God

“You know your Bible too well and life too little.”
― Richard Llewellyn, How Green Was My Valley

“She performed her promise of being discreet, to admiration.—She attended to all that Mrs. Jennings had to say upon the subject, with an unchanging complexion, dissented from her in nothing, and was heard three times to say, "Yes, ma'am."—She listened to her praise of Lucy with only moving from one chair to another, and when Mrs. Jennings talked of Edward's affection, it cost her only a spasm in her throat.—Such advances towards heroism in her sister, made Elinor feel equal to any thing herself.”
― Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

“Wisdom is to be fostered where it is found and those who judge without discretion do so because they themselves are blinded and chained to the vestibule of ignorance. Those lacking the sight to understand the circumstance and perspective of another place primacy on the material over the spiritual and become symptomatic of the problem rather than the cure.”
― Gwendolyn Taunton, Primordial Traditions

“Our best-laid plans are often our worst-made decisions.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

“A discreet person . . .

• is strong, yet humble;
• expresses genuine concern and interest;
• exercises caution to avoid unnecessary risks;
• knows intuitively when a situation or conversation is heading in the wrong direction;
• does not need to tear others down to build himself up;
• refrains from using foul language or speaking brashly;
• regulates her reactions and responds appropriately;
• takes the higher road rather than wrestling in the mud;
• remains gracious and poised in the heat of the moment;
• refrains from unnecessary confrontations;
• does not break confidence or share other people’s secrets with which they have been entrusted;
• communicates with deliberation and confidence.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact

“We observe that one of the great attributes of discretion is that it can mask ignorance of all the most common and lowly varieties, and Walter Moody was nothing if not excessively discreet.”
― Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries

“Wisdom teaches you when to use your discretion- with whom, what, and when to share your feelings and discernments...”
― Assegid Habtewold, The 9 Cardinal Building Blocks: For continued success in leadership

“I've always stressed the value of autonomy for intellectual and moral development. Autonomy provides us with a sphere of discretion which we all require.”
― Brian D'Ambrosio

“Let us retreat when we can, not when we must. Lord Chatham”
― Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

“You can understand,' said Holmes very suavely, 'that I extend to the affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise to you in yours.”
― Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

“Whatever the rights or wrongs of their affection, in the teeth of danger and despair love is entitled to speak its mind, and all others should be blind and deaf.”
― Ellis Peters, The Hermit of Eyton Forest

“We need Wisdom to seek for the Kindom and we need the Kingdom to have the Freedom to posess all other things!”
― Israelmore Ayivor

“Sometimes the best virtue learned on the battlefield is modesty.”
― David Halberstam, The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War

“Honesty doesn't mean you reveal everything you discern and feel. That is why we have the word discretion...”
― Assegid Habtewold, The 9 Cardinal Building Blocks: For continued success in leadership

“Discretion is a girl's best friend. Learn when to use it, and when to let it slip.”
― Jennifer Megan Varnadore

“Miss Benson had the power; which some people have, of carrying her wishes through to fulfillment; her will was strong, her sense was excellent, and people yielded to her – they did not know why.”
― Elizabeth Gaskell, Ruth

“Samad! My mouth is like the grave! Whatever is told to me dies with me."

Whatever was told to Zinat invariably lit up the telephone network, rebounded off aerials, radio waves, and satellites along the way, picked up finally by advanced alien civilizations as it bounced through the atmosphere of planets far removed from this one.”
― Zadie Smith, White Teeth

“What arises from discretion must be honoured.”
― Jane Austen, Emma

“People here notice when you have gunfights in train stations!”
― Lance Charnes, Doha 12

“He had been privy to much, and blind to even more.”
― Davis Bunn, Lion of Babylon

“Indiscretion and poor judgment not only can destroy a positive first impression, they also can have lasting negative consequences for which there is no return. Even years into the future, moments of indiscretion in the past can come back to bite you when you least expect it.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact

“The best safeguards you have are to live with dignity, love, and self-respect, and to make choices you can be proud of in the first place. Even as an adult, I still think to myself—what would my mother say?”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact

“The dictionary defines discretion as the quality of showing discernment, the ability to make responsible decisions, and behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense to others or revealing private information. Doing what is right is not always easy and can require uncommon courage. Be brave my friends, living right is its own reward.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact

“Discretion is the Larger Part of Valor

Discretion represents both your personal self-respect and the respect you have for other people. A discreet person has the wisdom to differentiate between good and bad, right and wrong, and favorable and unfavorable.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact

“To Disclose or Not Disclose

I just saw a poster: "Dirty laundry goes here (laundry basket) not here (Facebook logo)."
Online and in person, withholding personal information is a discreet way of regulating what people learn, think, and know about you. There are times when keeping it real and keeping it honest will reveal your authenticity and trustworthiness, but there are other times, however, when things are better left unsaid or locked away. Hence the term TMI, meaning "Too Much Information!" Discretion is part of "keeping it real" in professional (and self) respect.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact