How to Make Sure Your Secrets Stay a Secret ...

The best way to make sure your secrets stay safe is not to do anything you need to keep secret! Be careful and discreet. If you don't mess up, you're safe - there's nothing for anyone to find out. There's no chance of slipping up and inadvertently revealing things you'd rather keep quiet.

You should also be very careful about who you trust with your secrets. Some people aren't very reliable, even if you ask them to keep quiet and not tell anyone what you've just told them. Only tell the people that you can be absolutely sure won't tell a soul. Even discreet people can unintentionally let something slip, or aren't very good at covering up.

If there's something that you absolutely don't want people to know about, keep it away from the internet. While the NSA might not be terribly interested in your personal life, you can never be 100% certain that your information won't get accessed by someone. No site is guaranteed secure, so be very cautious what and where you post.

People can be nosy and ask all sorts of personal questions, and you may feel that it's rude not to respond. But even if people ask you personal questions, you don't have to answer. Simply tell them that you're not willing to answer that question. If you prefer to keep things to yourself, that's your prerogative. Don't feel obliged to tell anyone anything.

Normally I wouldn't advocate lying, but if it helps you keep your secrets then it may be the best option. Think of it as being economical with the truth rather than telling a lie! Some things you'd so much rather keep to yourself, and it may not be anyone else's business - so if you have to, a lie can help you cover up.

You can also cleverly cover yourself by anticipating how people may find out your secrets. Then you can work out how to stop them finding out! This could include being discreet about who you tell, or where you carry out the activity you want to keep quiet about.

Being a trustworthy person means you're more likely to be given the same courtesy. If you've shown you can be trusted to keep other people's secrets, they'll be more inclined to keep yours in return. And it's only fair to be discreet if you want other people to keep your secrets for you.

It may be hard to keep secrets, but it's a lot more likely if you're cautious. So don't be indiscreet, or people are bound to find out! Have you ever had to keep an unpleasant secret?