How you feel about leaks depends on whether you are doing the leaking or being leaked on. For example, if your air conditioner is dripping on to the neighbour's unit, causing an irritating sound, this is a minor matter: you promise to call in the technician right away but, meanwhile, please be patient. If, on the other hand, your neighbour's air conditioner is dripping on your unit, it's very serious: he should switch it off right now and sweat it out.
Similarly with bathrooms. Your shower leaks through to his flat; the plumber is coming tomorrow. But should the shower upstairs leak through to your flat, it's a disaster; what does he mean the plumber is coming tomorrow?
As with bathrooms, so with politics. A selective media briefing showing you in a good light, possibly at someone else's expense, is just part of the cut and thrust of life. A similar exercise that boosts another at your expense is an unforgivable breach of national security.
Which brings us to the story that appeared in several Chinese-language newspapers last Tuesday. The government had just accepted the Democratic Party's compromise proposal on political reform and Beijing had signed up, too. The stage was set for the biggest success of the Donald Tsang Yam-kuen era.
It would be inhuman not to expect those concerned to bask in a moment of glory, before moving on to tackle the many other pressing problems facing our community.
Instead, someone had the bright idea of leaking to the media a version of the behind-the-scenes events which showed our chief executive in an even more heroic light. The newspapers were briefed anonymously that Beijing's consent had only been secured by Tsang boldly bypassing the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office - and taking advantage of the absence of Xi Jinping, the vice-president responsible for Hong Kong affairs, who was overseas - to lobby President Hu Jintao himself. A letter sent directly to Hu, containing the Democrats' compromise offer and recommending approval, had won the day. Hu had agreed, on the condition that the pro-government parties concurred.