Everyday Canvas

Secrets

Prompt: “Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.”
Paul Tournier
What do you think about this quote, and what kinds of situations force us to keep secrets? Then, are all our secrets necessary?

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Most secrets are based on fear and guilt, and they have to do with not only what the person has done but what has been done to him or her. Even some crime victims may feel guilty of being the victim and not being able to prevent what has been done to them. They fear they’ll be ostracized and they’ll be looked down upon. This guilt is what makes a person act out in irregular and anti-social ways. That is why some groups and religions encourage confessions.

Also, when a person hides things from others, surely, they won’t be able to relate to them fully and as the result, they’ll feel lonely. Simply put, secrets cause alienation.

Everyone may have a secret, personal or belonging to others. some families have secrets, from the innocent to the deeply sinister. Sometimes, there are good reasons to keep them under wraps. Sometimes there is no reason to make them public or to hide them. But once a secret is out, the secret bearer is off the hook.

On the other hand, other people’s secrets, government secrets, and military secrets have to be respected.