How to Keep a Secret
Know the seriousness of the secret before you hear it., Ask how long you must keep the secret., Find out if you are allowed to tell anyone else., Stop the person from telling you.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know the seriousness of the secret before you hear it.
If someone tells you ahead of time that they are going to tell you a secret, ask for more information first.
Find out if it is a “little” secret or a “big” secret.
This will tell you how important it is that you keep the secret.
It will also tell you if you need to give the person your undivided attention while they disclose their secret (looking at your phone while having a serious talk is poor etiquette).
Prepare yourself to listen to the secret, knowing if it is something that you can handle. -
Step 2: Ask how long you must keep the secret.
It might be easier to keep a secret if you know you only have to keep it for a certain length of time.
If you are expected to keep the secret forever, that is good to know up front as well. , When you are told the secret, ask if it is okay to tell anyone else, like your sibling or a partner/spouse.
Asking if it is okay to tell can help you avoid an uncomfortable situation in which the person is upset with you.
If you know you will tell someone, like a spouse, be up front with that information and warn the person that you are going to tell someone else.
You may want to warn them about this before they tell you the secret. , If you know that you are really bad about keeping secrets, tell the person not to tell you the secret.
The person will appreciate your honesty and still has the option of telling you, knowing that you may tell someone else.
Suggest that the person tell you the secret right before they tell other people, so you do not have to keep the secret very long.
Some studies have shown that keeping a secret puts undue stress on a person.
If you wish to avoid added stress, just say no to secrets. -
Step 3: Find out if you are allowed to tell anyone else.
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Step 4: Stop the person from telling you.
Detailed Guide
If someone tells you ahead of time that they are going to tell you a secret, ask for more information first.
Find out if it is a “little” secret or a “big” secret.
This will tell you how important it is that you keep the secret.
It will also tell you if you need to give the person your undivided attention while they disclose their secret (looking at your phone while having a serious talk is poor etiquette).
Prepare yourself to listen to the secret, knowing if it is something that you can handle.
It might be easier to keep a secret if you know you only have to keep it for a certain length of time.
If you are expected to keep the secret forever, that is good to know up front as well. , When you are told the secret, ask if it is okay to tell anyone else, like your sibling or a partner/spouse.
Asking if it is okay to tell can help you avoid an uncomfortable situation in which the person is upset with you.
If you know you will tell someone, like a spouse, be up front with that information and warn the person that you are going to tell someone else.
You may want to warn them about this before they tell you the secret. , If you know that you are really bad about keeping secrets, tell the person not to tell you the secret.
The person will appreciate your honesty and still has the option of telling you, knowing that you may tell someone else.
Suggest that the person tell you the secret right before they tell other people, so you do not have to keep the secret very long.
Some studies have shown that keeping a secret puts undue stress on a person.
If you wish to avoid added stress, just say no to secrets.
About the Author
James Clark
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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