“No one can keep a secret better than a child.”
- February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885
- Born in France
- Author, poet, playwright
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Quote
“No one can keep a secret better than a child.”
Explanation
In this quote, Victor Hugo highlights the innocence and purity of a child’s nature, suggesting that children, in their honesty and simplicity, are often better at keeping secrets than adults. The idea is that children, unburdened by the complexities of social expectations or the fear of consequences, may hold onto information without the need to reveal it. Unlike adults, who may feel compelled to share information for various reasons, children tend to keep things to themselves with an unselfish, genuine silence, not out of calculation, but simply because they don’t feel the need to speak.
Hugo’s words also point to the natural trustworthiness children often possess. Their naivety can make them less prone to deceit or manipulation, and they may treat secrets with a kind of innocent reverence. This reflects a deeper belief in the honesty of childhood before the complexities of adult life, with its own burdens and reasons for disclosure.
In modern terms, this quote speaks to the idea that children often embody a kind of purity and trust that makes them less likely to divulge secrets. It reminds us that honesty and discretion can exist in their simplest, most unguarded form in the younger, untainted stages of life, where the motives and complexities of the adult world have yet to influence them.
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