proverb · Legacy record
Don’t tell your secret to your friend, he will tell it to his friend.
Don’t tell your secret to your friend, he will tell it to his friend.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A secret passed from one friend to another pictures information travelling beyond the first trusted recipient. The saying warns that personal confidence does not automatically limit disclosure.
What the words are saying
A responsible reading does not presume every friend betrays trust or prohibit seeking necessary help. A useful application clarifies confidentiality and considers what needs to be shared. Privacy can be respected without requiring silence about danger or harmful conduct.
Everyday example
Someone agrees on what may be shared while keeping open the option to seek support about a serious concern.
When to use it
Use it to discuss confidentiality with necessary support retained.
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What it does not mean
No inevitable betrayal or duty to conceal harm is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 510; PDF page 47; collection label: Ottoman Empire/Turkey
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Ottoman Empire/Turkey