32 People Used The Anonymity Of The Internet To Share The Secrets They’ll Never Reveal In Real Life

Despite being social creatures that like to talk and connect, there are certain things that we may refrain from sharing with others and many different reasons why we might choose to do that. But when talking about secrets, the first thing that comes to the minds of most people is probably something dark and heavy.

As it turns out, keeping something like that hidden away from the world might actually do damage to us. As Roberta Dode of Unveiled Facts shared, doing this can damage relationships with friends, family, and partners, as it limits our communication and can lead to suspicion as well as hostility, which, in the end, can breed even more secrecy.

Secrets in families play an even bigger role, as keeping something from children can make them feel left out, leading to them forming similar behavioral patterns. They might even end up having a distorted perception of reality due to not learning certain things that are hidden from them, whether because of trying to shield the kids or keeping things from the parents themselves. 

But those are not all of the ways in which keeping secrets can be unhealthy. According to Elisabeth Egan of The New York Times, the most harm actually comes not from hiding something but from having to live with it alone in your thoughts.

As the person’s mind keeps wandering to the secret they’re keeping over and over again, with no emotional support or advice, it can take a real toll on one’s mental health. Eventually, this can create a lot of anxiety, stress, and the feeling of being burdened, leading to a worsened quality of life and other serious problems that can show their face in the long term.

However, regardless of the picture painted above, not all secrets are harmful. In fact, as Noa Leach from Science Focus shared, some might actually even be good for you. 

A recent study done by researchers at Columbia University revealed that keeping good news to yourself can actually energize you and make you feel more alive. It turns out that keeping these types of secrets can boost a person’s energy levels, and even the intention of eventually spilling the beans gets a nice positive spin, especially if it’s planned in the form of a surprise. 

We often miss this side of keeping secrets, as all the previous research has focused on the negative side of it and the things being hidden due to negative implications to our and others’ lives.

In addition to that, it’s not as usual to hide something that we’re happy about, as we tend to share it as soon as we can. Compared to the negative things, when someone chooses to keep something positive a secret, they almost always make a choice to do it, going for their own enjoyment as opposed to being forced to by internal or external factors.

In the end, like many other things, secrets also have a positive and a negative side. How we’re keeping them, ultimately, is a decision that falls to us and us alone. While we might have many different reasons for doing what we’re doing, it’s wise to consider all the ups and downs. If some negative secret starts to feel like it’s really pulling you down, perhaps it’s time to talk to someone about it, and doing it anonymously online can be a start. 

What did you think about these secrets? Do you have any secrets you’re taking to the grave that you wouldn’t mind sharing anonymously? Type away in the comments below!