A Quote by Samuel Johnson

Where secrecy or mystery begins, vice or roguery is not far off.

Samuel Johnson

Quote Topics

Begins Far Mystery Off Secrecy Vice

Quote Author

Samuel Johnson
English - Writer
September 18, 1709 - December 13, 1784

A proper secrecy is the only mystery of able men; mystery is the only secrecy of weak and cunning ones.

Lord Chesterfield

The whole question of pornography seems to me a question of secrecy. Without secrecy there would be no pornography. But secrecy and modesty are two utterly different things. Secrecy has always an element of fear in it, amounting very often to hate. Modesty is gentle and reserved. Today, modesty is thrown to the winds, even in the presence of the grey guardians. But secrecy is hugged, being a vice in itself. And the attitude of the grey ones is: Dear young ladies, you may abandon all modesty, so long as you hug your dirty little secret.

D. H. Lawrence

A good parson once said that where mystery begins religion ends. Cannot I say, as truly at least, of human laws, that where mystery begins justice ends?

Edmund Burke

There is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a swindle, there is not a vice which does not live by secrecy.

Joseph Pulitzer

Secrecy can be sexy. It's essential to any good mystery novel.

Heather Brooke

The Palio is shrouded in mystery and secrecy, and the players can't discuss their devious schemes.

Cosima Spender

I think Vice is vastly overrated. And I think that if you are interested in reaching young males, which is what I think Vice's calling card has been, CNN's digital properties reach far more young men on a weekly basis than Vice does.

Jeff Zucker

It may interest you to know that my breakup with Terry and this mystery did not happen concurrently in real life. That is a writer's device, which places Gabriel under even greater pressure when the mystery begins to reveal itself.

Armistead Maupin

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

Elia Kazan

The film's title star, Christian Bale, told me in June that he'd signed a multi-picture contract. When I caught up with Batman Begins ... All I can tell you is, we're talking. There was quite an air of secrecy around the development of 'Batman Begins,' and there will be even more around the development of another film, if they move forward.

Christopher Nolan

The pathological degree to which former Vice President Dick Cheney operated in secrecy led to government abuses that we'll probably spend years learning about.

Timothy Noah

The author's conviction on this day of New Year is that music begins to atrophy when it departs too far from the dance; that poetry begins to atrophy when it gets too far from music; but this must not be taken as implying that all good music is dance music or all poetry lyric. Bach and Mozart are never too far from physical movement.