It certainly feels nice when someone entrusts you with their secret, but this delight comes with a burden of its own. After someone has confided in you their deepest darkest secret, it now falls upon you to keep this to yourself. If you let it slip away, you could lose or damage the relationship that you have built with that person. In addition to that, this can also ruin your rapport and create a reputation of a talebearer. Besides this, you may also want to keep your own secrets to yourself as these leaking can leave you in a vulnerable or embarrassing position.
In order to keep a secret to yourself, whether it is your own or something that one of your friends has shared with you, you need to have the willpower and patience. There can be a number of temptations urging you to throw the secret out in the open, but the repercussions of that can be ghastly.
Has a friend confided a deep secret to you that you have to keep to yourself now? Or are you just somebody who has always had trouble in keeping secrets to yourself? If you keep reading this article, then your life is going to change as we are going to share with you the secret of keeping a secret to yourself. Here is how you do it.
#1. Never Document It
Remember that somebody has told you a secret which is not to be shared with anybody else. When you document it, then it is not all up to you to keep others from getting to know it. Everything does not work out as you want it to every single time. For instance, if you write it in your diary, somebody could read it without your knowledge. In that case, it won’t be your fault per se since you did not deliberately leak the secret but you will still be the one to blame. So, if you have got a secret to keep, then make sure that there is no evidence of it, or even that you are aware of something like this.
#2. Pretend Like It Never Happened
Some people are so bad at keeping a secret that their behavior screams that they are hiding something even when they do not want to share it with somebody else. If you are one of those people, then you need to work on your behavior and how you act or react when you know something that is not to be shared with anybody. Behave as you do in any regular circumstances. People should not be able to deduct from your body language there is something you know. You can even pretend that you do not know about it simply by asking a few questions about the same when people in your group are talking about it. But you have to be sure that you fake it well.
#3. Be Forgetful
They say ignorance is bliss. Well, the same can be said about forgetfulness. If you can’t even remember the secret, how can you possibly share it with somebody else? Also, if you do not remember it, then it will not urge you to bring other people into your small circle of trust and let them know what you are hiding.
However, have you ever attempted to forget a secret deliberately? Was it ever successful? No, right? When we intentionally try to forget something that we know, we keep on thinking about it over and over again. Instead, you have to make this an effortless act. Just let the secret slip out of your mind without even thinking about it too much.
#4. Remember That It Makes You Mysterious
This is how you can keep a secret and you it to your advantage at the same time. Everyone likes being mysterious, and we know you do too. There is a certain air around mysteries and mysterious people that makes them so much more intriguing and interesting than everyone else. Don’t you want to be that person? It is okay to have an urge to share your or somebody else’s secret with your friends or family but you have to remember that it is better for you if the secret stays a secret. You can be that person who knows something that nobody else does. This certainly has got a ring to it if you ask us.
#5. Never Bring Up The Topic Or Change It If Necessary
It is going to be difficult for you to keep a thing to yourself when people around you are talking about it. So, try your best to keep the secret to yourself by never bringing up the topic in your conversations. Because if you do, then people might ask what you know about it and then you will have to lie or blurt it out. Also, if somebody else brings up the topic, quickly change it to something else. However, you have to be subtle about it as your behavior could tick your buddies that you have some information that you are hiding. What you should do is continue talking about something related to the topic around secret but not that exactly. Or, you can even find a reason to slip away to keep yourself out of this discussion.
#6. Be Prepared To Lie
If you want to keep a secret, then there can be times when you will have to lie. What will you say if people bluntly ask what you know about something? Will you cry out the secret or tell them that you do not want to share it with them? Lying is a great option in these circumstances and it can help you maintain your reputation with the person who has told you the secret as well as with the one who you are not telling the secret.
If you are ever caught lying, here are some tips that can help you get out of the pickle.
#7. Avoid Gossipers
If you want to keep the secret to yourself, then avoid gossipers. They have a way of getting you to blurt out your secret even when you do not want to. They make you feel like a part of the group, and before you know it, you have shared with them what you promised somebody you wouldn’t with anybody. Your best option in this scenario is to steer clear of gossipers.
#8. Remember That Someone Is Trusting You To Keep A Secret
Even if you are someone who has trouble keeping a secret, what can help you in keeping one this time is remembering the fact that somebody has bestowed you with their trust. They considered you worthy of their trust and told you something that they didn’t anybody else. As much as it may tempt you, never share it with anyone, not even your closest friends or family.
#9. Stop The Person From Sharing Secrets With You
Well, even after so many tips, you still find it difficult to keep a secret to yourself, then we suppose it is better if you refrain yourself from getting to know any secrets. It may sound weird to you or even a little absurd but would you rather learn the secret and let your relationship go down the drain after you share it with others or not know the secret at all? This choice should be easy.
So, this is the secret of keeping something to yourself! Feel free to share it with your friends. Tell us how you keep a secret to yourself through comments below. We would love to hear from you.
