proverb · Words worth keeping
If you don’t want anyone to know it, don’t do it.
If you don’t want anyone to know it, don’t do it.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Avoiding an action one does not want known links conduct with openness. The saying questions deeds that depend on concealment.
Example
Someone asks whether a confidential decision protects a legitimate need or conceals an unfair act.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
A useful interpretation considers whether secrecy hides wrongdoing without making privacy inherently suspicious. Many legitimate matters deserve confidentiality, and fear of exposure may reflect unfair scrutiny rather than guilt. The actual action and affected people need assessment instead of a universal disclosure test.
When to use it
Use it to discuss conduct and concealment with privacy respected.
Keep in mind
No guilt from privacy or requirement to publicise every legitimate action is established.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- China