“While secrecy can be destructive, some of it is indispensable in human lives. Some control over secrecy and openness is needed in order to protect identity. Such control may be needed to guard privacy, intimacy, and friendship.”  (Adapted from Sissela Bok, “The Need for Secrecy”)

“Secrecy and a free, democratic government, President Harry Truman once said, don’t mix. An open exchange of information is vital to the kind of informed citizenry essential to healthy democracy.”

Editorial, “Overzealous Secrecy Threatens Democracy”

Assignment: Do people need to keep secrets or is secrecy harmful?