Bond’s observation distinguishes between protecting one’s own interests and protecting information entrusted by someone else. A person may be highly disciplined about secrets that affect their own position while treating another party’s confidential information with much less care.

The quotation therefore warns against assuming that discretion is a general character trait simply because someone is cautious about their own affairs. Confidentiality depends on incentives, judgement and a sense of responsibility towards other people’s interests, not merely on an ability to keep secrets when personally motivated.

More broadly, the remark applies to professional and organisational settings where sensitive information is shared across boundaries. It suggests that trust should be based on demonstrated behaviour and aligned responsibilities rather than on assumptions. Care with private information is most reliable when the person handling it has both the discipline and the reason to protect it.