proverb · Source-linked selection
From confessors, doctors, and lawyers, do not conceal the truth of your case.
From confessors, doctors, and lawyers, do not conceal the truth of your case.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying values an accurate account when seeking help from a trusted adviser. Its list of professional and religious roles contrasts useful understanding with an account that conceals relevant facts.
What the words are saying
Confessors, doctors and lawyers are presented as people asked to understand a case. The literary point is that an adviser’s response can be affected by what they are told. This is not a statement about present professional duties, confidentiality or what someone is legally required to disclose. A responsible reading considers the purpose of a consultation and legitimate privacy rather than demanding unlimited revelation. Its concern is a deliberately misleading account, not a rule that everybody is entitled to every private detail.
Everyday example
Someone seeking help with a project explains the missed deadline and the changed brief rather than presenting only the part that makes them look good.
When to use it
Use it as a historical expression of candour in seeking advice, with professional and privacy limits kept distinct.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
No medical, legal or confidentiality rule is established by the proverb.
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 (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 2; French section, paragraph 27; source wording: A confesseurs, médecins, avocats, la vérité ne cèle de ton cas.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.