"Secrets don't make friends."
I'm sure most of you have heard this adage at some point. And even for those who haven't, I'm certain many would be quick to agree. Secrets, however, play a multi-faceted role in society; their purposes are as ambiguous as their nature.
Secrets are born when we decide to withhold thoughts or experiences from those around us. Sometimes, we are ashamed or afraid of how others may react. Other times, the possible ramifications of our actions encourage us to remain silent. Or, we might just not feel like sharing every detail about our lives. The list goes on. The number and magnitude of secrets we keep correlates to our individual personalities -- there are people who are extremely open with those around them, who have almost nothing hidden about themselves; on the other hand, there are those who are highly introverted, shadows cast across the plains of their personality. Some are more comfortable about voicing their experiences, and others aren't. These differences make us who we are, and, at the same time, secrets.
In all honesty, secrets are an undeniable part of our existence. There are details, thoughts, events, and parts of ourselves we have never shared with anyone else -- to divulge every single fact would be impossible out of all we accumulate in our day to day lives. What changes is how many secrets we hold, and how they effect the lives of those around us as well as our own. Some people have more to hide than others, and more to lose if these secrets come to light.
Sometimes the line between keeping secrets and lying is dangerously obscured. The two often go hand in hand; usually, one is never far from the other. What would you do, though, if keeping this secret meant preserving the relationship of your family? Or you promised a friend you would never tell a soul? This is where our moral compass takes over, and we must decide how important this secret is -- and how important it is that it remains one.
How far are you willing to go to preserve your secrets?
I look forward to hearing your take on this topic.
"There are no secrets better kept than the secrets that everybody guesses." -George Bernard Shaw
WillowxOx.
