Why is keeping secrets so hard

It's the same tension that tempts us to want to tell our friends about a new artist we just found. Not to mention that the very act of keeping a secret, which often comes with lying in some capacity, can stress people out. After all, nobody wants to be called a liar — but that's not much worse than being called a gossip. By Kathleen Wong. If you do not share certain things with your close family members, spouses or parents, a sense of distrust can develop. Keeping or sharing secrets often puts people in a position of either gaining or losing the trust of someone.

He added that people who are more talkative may unintentionally let a secret slip out but that does not necessarily mean it is good idea to share secrets with someone who is quieter. If somebody is quiet and keeps everything in, it may cause them to have more stress, and eventually they will talk to somebody. Think about how you would feel if your secret was shared.

This article has been republished from materials provided by Baylor College of Medicine. Four additional studies, all involving couples and conducted online, produced similar findings. If you must keep a secret, Slepian suggests avoiding dwelling on it by practicing mindfulness or by discussing the forbidden topic in anonymous online forums. Already a subscriber?

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